In My Brother's Shadow
by 2brown-eyes
Summary: As a child, Bella always felt second best when in it came to her twin brother, Emmett. Now years later, an accident has brought her back to Forks. Will she be thrust back into her brother's shadow? Or will she be finally be seen as something other than Emmett's sister.
1. Preface

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Preface**

I stared happily out the car window at the trees and buildings, trying to decide whether to get chocolate or strawberry ice cream. Maybe Dad would let me get a scoop of both. He was taking me to get ice cream —just the two of us. This was a rare occasion since he was always busy doing sports stuff with my twin brother, Emmett. Since I wasn't athletic at all, our together time was few and far between.

"Dad..." I turned to ask him but stopped when I saw he was turning into the market parking lot. "Wait…why are we here?" I asked, confused.

"Sorry, Bells, I got a call. Hopefully, this won't take too long." He glanced over his shoulder at me.

I sat back against the seat in disappointment as he stopped in front of the store. Mr. Hooper came out the front door dragging a boy about my age with him. When the boy looked up, I recognized his dirt-smudged face, even though his glasses were broken. I was shocked to see Teddy Cullen looking the way he did.

"Sit tight, don't get out of the car." He grabbed his police hat and placed it on before opening his door.

I couldn't hear what was being said, but Mr. Hooper appeared angry, and Teddy was staring at his feet, scuffling the dirt, creating a cloud of dust. Dad said something back to Mr. Hooper then placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder. He led him to the back door of the car, and with a scowl, Teddy slid into the seat next to me.

"Buckle up," Dad ordered, slamming the door.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the belt. When he twisted his body for the buckle, he spotted me—his eyes widened.

"Did your dad arrest you too?" he asked.

"Of course not. We're supposed to be getting ice cream. What did you do?"

"I stole a candy bar," he said with a grimace.

"Why?" I asked.

Before he could answer me, Dad got back in the car. "I don't want the two of you talking. I have to bring Edward to his parents, and then I'll bring you home, Bells."

"What about the ice cream?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, but by the time I finish getting him to his house and talk with his parents, I'll need to get Emmett to bring him to his game," Dad explained.

"Why can't Mom bring him just this once," I pleaded.

Dad snorted, and his mustache twitched. "Because your mother knows nothing about baseball. Besides, I'm the assistant coach; I should be there."

I glared out the window and tugged on one of my braids, trying to hold back my tears. The ride passed in an uncomfortable silence with only the occasional noise from the police scanner. Dad turned off the main road and drove down a long driveway, coming to a stop in front of the biggest house I had ever seen. Dad got out and met with a woman who had to be Teddy's mother.

"I'm sorry," Teddy whispered from beside me.

I glanced at him, and he gave me a half-hearted smile. "Why did you steal a candy bar when it's obvious your family is rich?"

He blinked furiously and scowled. "James made me do it. I tried to refuse, but he beat me up and broke my glasses. He only stopped when I agreed. I planned on paying for it, but James was watching me too closely."

"Did you tell my dad?" I asked.

"I can't; James would kill me if I snitch," Teddy answered, pushing his glasses up his nose, but they just slipped down again.

"He can't kill you; he's only eight like us. Exaggerate much?" I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, but I don't want to be used as his personal punching bag. You're lucky you're Emmett's sister," Teddy said.

"What does Emmett have to do with anything?" I asked, growing annoyed. I hated the fact that I was only known as Emmett's sister—not Bella.

"James won't bother you since the only guy he's afraid of is him. Remember what Emmett did to Mikey for tripping you in line at the water fountain last year?" Teddy smiled slightly.

"Yeah." I nodded.

It was really gross; Mikey's nose gushed blood everywhere. Dad was proud of Emmett for defending me. Mom not as much as she thought it was wrong for Emmett to resort to violence. They argued about it while they thought we were sleeping.

"Edward, let's go." Dad opened his door and ordered him out of the car.

"You should tell them the truth," I whispered to Teddy.

He looked back over his shoulder at me but didn't say anything. Dad placed a hand on his shoulder and marched him over to Mrs. Cullen. She had a look of disappointment and confusion on her face. I was still watching him as Dad drove away.

"I'm sorry about the ice cream, Bells. I'll make it up to you," Dad broke the silence.

"Dad, Edward is the class nerd," I stated.

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Isabella," he scolded.

"I didn't mean it like that. He's the smartest kid in class and is never in trouble. He also gets picked on for it," I explained, wringing my hands on my lap.

"What are you trying to get at, Bells?" Dad met my eyes in the review mirror.

"James Turner forced Teddy to steal that candy bar. When he tried to refuse, James beat him up, that's how his glasses got broken," I told him, hoping Teddy wouldn't be too upset with me for tattling.

"Did Edward tell you that?" Dad questioned.

"Yes, he was scared to tell you, because he was afraid James would beat him up again," I explained.

"Hmmm…" Dad responded, tapping on the steering wheel.

When we got home, Dad let me out as Emmett came running from the house, dressed for his game. Even though he was my twin, he had at least two inches on me. People tended to think I was his younger sister.

"I'm ready for the game." He pounded his fist into his glove.

"Let's get going then." Dad grabbed Emmett's bat to place it in the trunk. "Son, do you know James Turner?"

"Yeah, he's a real jerk." Emmett shrugged, not interested in talking him.

"Is he friends with Edward Cullen?" Dad asked.

"I don't know any Edwards." Emmett shook his head.

"He means Teddy Cullen." I rolled my eyes. I was irritated that Dad was asking Emmett about it even though I already told him.

"Oh hell no. Teddy is a nerd, James likes to pick on him," Emmett scoffed.

"Well, maybe you can do the kid a favor and look out for him so James will leave him alone," Dad suggested.

"I guess." Emmett shrugged.

I could tell right away he'd do it for like a week before he got bored. I was angry Dad was even asking him about Teddy. Didn't he trust what I said? And why did I get yelled at for calling Teddy a nerd but it was fine for Emmett?

"Let's get a move on before we're late. Bells, are you coming?" Dad asked.

I shook my head. I didn't want to go since I was annoyed with both of them. I went into the house in search of my mother. I found her in her bedroom, packing a large suitcase. She looked up from folding a shirt when I entered and smiled at me.

"How was the ice cream?" she asked.

"We didn't get any. Dad had to go on a call," I told her as I sat on their bed.

She paused in the middle of folding. "A call? You mean a work-related one?"

"Uh-huh. Shoplifter at the market," I explained.

She closed her eyes and wrinkles formed on her forehead like it did when she was mad. "Is your father still here? I need to have a word with him."

"He already left to bring Emmett to his game," I answered.

"Your father had no business bringing you on a call. He should have dropped you off first," she said angrily, tossing the folded shirt in the suitcase.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Your grandmother's; she fell and broke her leg and needs some extra help for a while." She took the top out again and refolded it.

"Can I come?" I asked, dreading being left at home alone with the boys.

"You'll only be bored. There's isn't a lot to do for kids around there," Mom said.

"Please. It will be better than being dragged to Emmett's games and being ignored," I pleaded.

Mom sighed. "Sweetheart, your dad loves you too. He just doesn't know how to relate to girls."

"Yeah, I'm sure he can bring me on his next call. Maybe that time guns will be involved instead of just a stolen candy bar," I said with fake enthusiasm.

I knew he would never do that, but I was desperate for her to take me with her. I loved Grandma; she let me help cook and bake with her. Mom leveled me with a stare and placed one hand on her hip.

"That's not funny, Bella," she scolded.

"Sorry. But pretty please with a cherry on top. You won't even know I'm there," I begged.

She smirked. "I'll always _know_ you are there. Fine. Go pick out some clothes, toys, and whatever else you want to bring. I'll call the airline and then bring you a suitcase.

I squealed happily and ran from the room into my own. I was excited to be going on a trip with just Mom and me.

Little did I know it was going to be one way.

**A/N: Thank you for joining me on a new journey. I will be updating every Friday. There will be a time jump next chapter. **


	2. Chapter 1

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 1 (9 years later)**

I glanced at the sentence on the screen and shook my head before I deleted it. I then reworded it and sighed before I deleted it yet again. I placed my elbows on the table and my head in my hands as I rubbed my temple. I just couldn't focus today; everything I wrote was just pure crap.

I decided to take a break and stood and stretched. I headed over to the small kitchen and grabbed myself a soda. I searched through the cabinets and grabbed a can of cashews. I was just settling back at my desk when I heard the door open and close.

I turned my head to see my friend, Alice, bounce into the room. She stopped midway and ran her hand through her short black hair with hot pink tips. She was wearing a bikini with a sarong tied at the hip. I could instantly tell something was bothering her.

"What's wrong?" I asked apprehensively.

"Nothing," she said; however, her nose twitched, and she scratched it—a tell-tale sign she was lying. "You're writing…I can come back later." She started to back out of the room.

"Freeze, pixie, what did you do?" I swiveled my chair around to face her.

"Nothing, I swear. I just heard something on the radio about Forks I thought you should know about." She shifted from foot to foot and wouldn't make eye contact with me.

"You heard something on the news about Forks…Forks, Washington all the way on the opposite coast?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh, more specifically it was about Emmett." She bit her lip.

"Let me guess, Emmett broke some sport's record in…it's August, so I guess that would be football." I fought hard not to roll my eyes.

Emmett now played a sport for every season and excelled in them all. I guess I should be impressed that any athlete in Washington could make the news in Florida. However, I had grown impassive to hearing how great Emmett was.

"Uh…no…you haven't heard from your dad? I guess I probably shouldn't be surprised." She huffed in irritation.

"Alice…" I prompted, starting to get an uneasy feeling.

"There's been some sort of car accident, and he's in the hospital," Alice stated quickly.

"What!" I grabbed my cell phone to see if I had any missed calls.

When I didn't see any, I called my father directly, while at the same time going on Facebook to look at Emmett's page. My call went to voicemail as I stared at the screen, seeing message after message from people telling Emmett to 'get well soon' and sending their prayers.

What the hell? Was I the last person to know that my twin brother was in the hospital? I knew I lived on the opposite side of the country and we've never been close, but I thought I would get a phone call. I typed his name into the search engine but before I could hit enter my phone rang.

"Dad?" I answered quickly.

"Are you Isabella Swan?" a stranger asked.

"Yes, who's is this," I questioned.

"Dr. Cullen, I work at Forks General Hospital. We have been trying to reach your mother. The only number we have appears to have been disconnected," he said.

"My mother…she passed away." I turned to see if Alice was still in the room.

She was sitting on the edge of my bed, chewing on her thumbnail. She looked at me wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know." He sounded apologetic. "Isabella, I need to speak with your current guardian."

"I don't have one; I'm emancipated. Can you please tell me what's going on with Emmett? I heard on the news there was an accident, but I don't know anything else," I asked.

"I'm afraid your brother's condition is very serious. Your father's too, however, he sustained fewer injuries," he explained.

"Wait…Ch…Dad was hurt too?" My heart skipped a beat, and I started to feel numb. "How bad is it? Are they going to survive?" I started to get upset.

"I think it would be better if I could talk to you in person. Are you able to come here?" he asked.

"Yes, but you have to give me more. Are they going to live through this?" I jumped when Alice placed her hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fairly confident your dad will make a full recovery. It's too early to know about Emmet. The sooner you can get here the better since right now you're their only living relative," Dr. Cullen explained calmly.

"I'll be there on the next flight," I promised and quickly hung up the phone.

"I need to pack…" I started to stand, then sat again. "I need to get a ticket."

"Wait, why are you going?" Alice asked incredulously.

"You know why. Both Emmett and my father are in the hospital," I explained.

"So, handle it over the phone," she insisted.

"The doctor asked me to come. I'm the only family they have left," I told her.

"That fact didn't have them running here when…"

"Alice, stop." I clenched my eyes shut as I felt a twinge of hurt from the memory.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm trying to look out for you. I don't like how they've never put you first. And here you are, ready to rush off to help them. I know you; you'll stay and nurse them back to health. And that's not a bad thing if the people you're helping are appreciative of your efforts."

"Thank you. And you're right; I'm not them, which is why I have to go. He's still my dad and Emmett's my twin. Two wrongs never make a right," I reasoned.

"I'll get the tickets, you pack." Alice shooed me from the chair.

"Just get me the one, I don't know when I'll be back. This may take a while." I head for the closet.

"The other ticket is for me. I'm coming with," Alice declared.

"I love you for wanting to go, but you can't, school starts in two days," I reminded her.

"So, I'll take a Senior skip day or two." She shrugged. "School is going to be lame anyways since you graduated a year early."

"Your father would never let you. Plus, you'll only be bored waiting around the hospital. I'll be fine, I promise," I insisted.

"It will be boring here without you. I've gotten used to you living in our pool house." Alice sighed. "You better be back by your birthday, or I'm dragging you home by your messy ponytail."

**S**

The elevator door at Forks General Hospital slid open, and I stepped out onto I.C.U. floor. I glanced up and down the hallway until I located the nurses' desk. A middle-aged woman with red hair looked up as I approached.

"May I help you?" she asked, eyeing me over the top of her glasses.

"Yes, I'm looking for the rooms of Emmett and Charlie Swan," I asked politely.

Her smile dropped, and she looked tired and a bit cross. "I'm sorry, but no fan club members are allowed," she said robotically.

"I'm family; Isabella Swan. I'm Charlie Swan's daughter and Emmett's sister. Dr. Cullen called and asked me to come." I dug out my I.D. in case she needed proof.

She glanced at it briefly and nodded as her smile returned. "We've been expecting you. I'll page the doctor to let him know you've arrived. Your brother is in 314 and your father, 316." She pointed down the hallway to her left.

"Thank you," I told her.

I made my way down the hall slowly then paused between the two rooms, not knowing which one to go into first or what to expect. I was only given minimal details about their accident, so I was nervous as to what I might see.

Over the last few years, my relationship with both of them had been strained. I saw them here and there over the years but never more than a week at a time. When Mom left that day, it was more than just to help Grandma. She had gone away to think, and it turned into a separation, and subsequently, divorce.

I remember being upset at first, but the feeling soon disappeared. Even at my young age, I could tell how much happier my mom became—I was happier too. For once it didn't feel like I was taking a second seat to Emmett and his sports. Mom focused all her time on me. First, she enrolled me in ballet, and when that didn't work out, we tried other things. Soon I fell in love with creative writing and drawing. My mother started making her own jewelry to sell at craft fairs and teaching yoga and Pilates at the local Y.

When the time came for visits, I was the one to do most of the traveling. Emmett came to stay with us a handful of times before he had to be back for whatever sport was in season. My mother and I would often make the trips if he was in a championship game. My father, however, made the trip once—when Mom died.

I stepped into the doorway of Dad's room. He looked as if he was sleeping; the only signs that he might have been hurt was the I.V. by his bedside.

"Okay, maybe it's not as bad as I worked up in my head," I said under my breath.

I took a backward step and went into Emmett's room and stopped short. There were more tubes and wires coming out of him than I had ever seen. He looked pale, and for the first time ever in his life, weak. I approached the side of the bed cautiously, so I didn't disturb him.

"Hey, little brother." Me calling him that name was probably an oxymoron since even at birth, Emmett was bigger than me. However, I was eleven minutes older, so it used to be a joke between us.

"I don't know who you are, but you need to get out!"

I turned at the sound of the voice. A tall blonde girl about my age was standing in the bathroom doorway with red-rimmed eyes and cheeks streaked mascara. Her arms were crossed in front of her as she glared at me.

"I'm Bella Swan, Emmett is my brother. And you are?" I stood my ground.

"Emmett's girlfriend. He's never mentioned you," she spat as if she was trying to hurt me.

"Well, I guess we have something in common; he's never said a word about you either, and last I checked, not even twenty-four hours ago, his Facebook status was single," I responded with a raised eyebrow.

"What's going on in here?" A doctor stepped into the room with a stern look on his face. "Miss Hale, you need to leave; only family at this time."

"But that's unfair, what about her?" She pointed at me.

"Are you, Isabella?" he asked calmly, and I nodded. "Then she's family."

"That's so unfair," Miss Hale complained.

"I'm sorry, but those are the rules. This is already your second warning. Come in here again without permission, and I'll have you barred from the hospital."

I felt slightly bad for her as her eyes watered and it seemed Dr. Cullen did too.

"Once Chief Swan is awake, we can get his consent for you to visit. Until then, I'm sorry, but you need to stay out," he said apologetically.

"Whatever," she huffed and stormed from the room.

He then turned to me and held out his hand. "I'm sorry about that. I'm Dr. Cullen; I have been handling the cases of both Emmett and your father."

"Nice to meet you. I have a ton of questions." I shook his hand.

"Why don't we go to my office and we can talk." He gestured to the door.

**A/N: A time jump, hopefully I gave you enough to fill you in what happened over the last nine years. Other questions will be answered as the story goes on. I will mention since it was asked a lot last chapter that Renée isn't evil in this story. Nor did she plan to leave for good that day. Once she left she realized it was the best thing for her and Bella. **

**Thank you for sharing your thought with me. **


	3. Chapter 2

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 2**

We didn't make it very far before a nurse came out of Dad's room at the same time we left Emmett's.

"Doctor, the Chief is awake, and he's asking about Emmett," she said.

"I'll be right in," he informed her and turned to me. "Give me a few moments to check him out, and I'll bring you in so we can all have this discussion together. Okay?"

I nodded and leaned against the wall as he disappeared through the doorway. My stomach grumbled in protest since I hadn't eaten in several hours. I doubted I had enough time to run to the cafeteria, but maybe there was a vending machine where I could get something to tide me over. I headed back to the desk, and encountered the same nurse from earlier.

"You're leaving so quickly?" She seemed surprised.

"No." I shook my head. "Dr. Cullen needed to examine my father since he is now awake."

"I'm glad to hear it; such a dreadful thing that happened. I apologize for earlier. Your brother has quite the fan club, and they've been trying to sneak by me," she said sincerely.

To be honest, I was surprised by her apology; I hadn't expected one. "That's okay, I understand. Is there a vending machine on this floor? I don't want to go far, so I don't keep the doctor waiting."

She hesitated. "Not for visitors. However, I feel bad for being so rude earlier; you have my permission to use the one in the break room. If anyone gives you any problems tell them to speak to me, Cora."

"Thank you, that is very kind." I smiled at her.

"You're welcome. It's down the same hall you just came from, three doors on your right after your dad's room," she explained.

I found it easily enough and was relieved it was currently empty, so I didn't have to explain why I was here. I looked over the selection before choosing a bag of Chex Mix. I watched as it fell about two inches before getting stuck, never making it to the bottom.

"Figures," I mumbled and smacked the front, hoping to jostle it free.

"You're not supposed to be in here." I heard for the second time today.

"I have Cora's permission." I looked up to see a cute guy about my age standing a few feet from me in dark green scrubs that were about two shades darker than his eyes. "I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you a little young to be a doctor or nurse?"

He smirked. "My father is a doctor here, and he's making me do community service."

I glanced at his I.D. and recognized his name immediately. Wow, Teddy had certainly grown out of his awkward stage. His hair was darker and longer with a wild look to it compared to the neatly-combed style he had as a kid. His glasses and freckles were gone too.

"Teddy? Exactly how many candy bars did you steal?" I couldn't help but ask.

His eyebrows furrowed "Teddy? No one calls me that anymore. And why the hell would I steal…" His eyes lit up in recognition. "Emmett's sister."

I scowled. "My name is Bella, not Emmett's sister."

"Sorry." He gave me an apologetic smile. "I go by Edward now. And for the record, I only stole a candy bar once."

"Aww … but the name Teddy was so cute," I teased.

He rolled his eyes and reached out in my direction. I took an instinctive step back and flinched. He raised an eyebrow before hitting the glass on the vending machine hard, making me jump. The bag dropped to the bottom, and Edward retrieved it and held it out to me.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. I guess you're here because of the accident," he said.

"I am; I just arrived today. I'm waiting to hear from your father. Do you know what happened or even when? I feel so out of the loop," I asked him.

"I…"

"What's going on in here?" Dr. Cullen asked, looking unhappy.

"I was looking to get something quick to eat. Cora said it was okay since I wanted to stay close by while I was waiting for you," I explained. I felt my cheeks grow warm; I felt as if I was a small child caught doing something I shouldn't.

"And why aren't _you _working?" Dr. Cullen gave Edward a stern look.

"It's my fault; he was helping me with the vending machine. And then I remembered him from grade school, so I was talking to him." I took the blame.

Dr. Cullen seemed satisfied. "I forgot you're about the same age. Isabella, if you're ready, we can head to your father's room."

"It was nice to see you again Ted…Edward," I corrected myself as I readied myself to leave.

He nodded his head before grabbing the waste basket in the room. Dr. Cullen led the way, and I glanced behind me to watch Edward dump the basket in larger dumpster cart. Dr. Cullen held the door for me as I stepped in but hanged back.

Charlie was awake, and he looked annoyed. He muted the television but didn't look away from the screen. "Finally, Carlisle. When are you going to answer my questions, what's going on with my boy?"

"I'm sorry, Charlie, I had to get the last member of our group," Dr. Cullen apologized.

"I thought you were overseeing Emmett. Who did you get?" Dad looked around Dr. Cullen and spotted me. "What are you doing here?"

"I got a call saying you and Emmett were in an accident and to come here," I replied, taking a seat by the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, and Emmett will be too, he's strong like an ox. You didn't need to trouble yourself; you shouldn't be missing school." He waved his hand then winced.

"I wouldn't take your injuries lightly, Charlie. You have two fractured ribs, a concussion and most likely a broken wrist. We'll get that x-rayed today. As for Emmett, he has a very long road ahead of him." Dr. Cullen sat on the edge of another chair.

Dad became apprehensive. "How bad are you talking? Will he still be able to play football this fall; the team is counting on him?"

"Seriously, that's your concern? Whether or not he can throw a ball," I said incredulously.

"Isabella," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Charlie…" Dr. Cullen paused and took a deep breath. "Right now, Emmett's condition is very serious. He has a TBI, and the swelling in his brain hasn't gone down, and his Glasgow number is a four."

"I don't understand. What is a TBI?" Dad frowned.

"A traumatic brain injury," I answered absentmindedly.

"Correct, and the Glasgow scale is how we rate coma patients. The higher the number, the better and three is the lowest," Dr. Cullen explained.

"Are you saying, my son is brain dead?" Dad paled.

"No. There is activity. However, there is a lot of pressure on the brain. We would like to operate in hopes to relieve it." Dr. Cullen.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dad slapped the table with his bad hand then winced.

"We needed to get permission before operating. Emmett had a seizure during his MRI, but he's stable for now. With this surgery, there is a risk of him having another or going into cardiac arrest," Dr. Cullen explained.

I realized now why I had been told to come. There was a decision to be made, and a large part of me was thankful Charlie was now awake so he could make it. I wasn't comfortable making life-altering decisions that would affect the rest of Emmett's life.

"Operate. I'll sign whatever, I need to." Charlie agreed after a few moments.

"You said he wasn't brain dead, but will he have brain damage?" I asked.

"It's too soon to tell, but the chances are high. I must tell you there is a chance that even with surgery, Emmett may never wake up." Dr. Cullen looked regretful.

"What are his chances for a full recovery?" Dad asked.

"Right now, not so good," Dr. Cullen admitted. "Maybe a ten percent chance. Once the swelling comes down it will be safer to perform surgery on his left shoulder and knee," Dr. Cullen informed us.

Looking years older than he was, Dad rubbed his face with his hand. "Do whatever you need to. How soon can I get out of this place?"

"Let's get your hand x-rayed to see what we are dealing with, but I say there's a good chance you could go tomorrow." Dr. Cullen turned to me. "Unfortunately, the ICU doesn't allow overnight guests."

"That's okay. I was planning on going back to the house anyway," I told him.

"Ahh…Bells," Dad gave me a sheepish look. "About that. We weren't expecting you, so you're going to have to sleep on the couch. Since you haven't been around, we turned your room into an at-home-gym."

"You what?" I blinked furiously.

"I can see, I'm not needed for this so if you'll excuse…" Dr. Cullen spoke as he tried to get up discreetly but was interrupted by Dad.

"Now don't get upset. I'm sure I can get some guys from the team to disassemble it and move it all to the basement since Emmett won't be needing it for a while. I'll call Principal Greene tomorrow to get you enrolled in school, too."

"I'm not going to high school; I've already graduated." My irritation flared. Of course, he didn't come to my ceremony, so why would he remember. "Don't worry about it; I'll just get a room at The Lodge."

"You will not. For starters, you're too young. Second of all, no daughter of mine will stay at that seedy place." Dad pointed a finger at me.

"Forgive me, but maybe I can offer a solution. Your father is right about The Lodge. My wife and I will be happy to have Bella stay with us," Dr. Cullen suggested.

"That will be perfect. And tomorrow, I'll get Mike and Tyler over to the house." Dad decided for me.

Thankfully, Dr. Cullen had more sense than my father. "Would you be comfortable with that Bella?"

"That's very kind of you to offer, but I don't want to put anyone out," I said. It would also be very weird to stay with complete strangers but what other option did I have? I didn't know anyone in town any more.

"It would be no trouble at all. Esme loves company. You also won't have to endure the cafeteria food here; she makes plenty." He gave me a friendly smile.

"Thank you, I'll take you up on your offer," I agreed.

"It's settled then. And speaking of guests, Rosalie Hale has been requesting to visit Emmett. She says she's his girlfriend. Are you okay with that, Charlie?"

"Absolutely not. Emmett has had no time for a girlfriend. She's been trying to sink her claws into him and ride his coattails in hopes he'll make it big," Charlie refused.

He looked so angry; I actually felt slightly bad for Rosalie. She was a bitch, but she seemed genuinely upset about Emmett being hurt.

"I'll inform the front desk." Dr. Cullen frowned. "I'm going to go get the paperwork taken care of so we can get moving on Emmett's surgery and get your arm x-rayed."

After he left the room, there was an awkward silence between us. Dad was staring at the screen once more watching the scores on Sports Center.

"How did the accident happen?" I asked.

"We were driving home from a Mariners game. A deer crossed the road, and I remember Emmett swerving. He said something about the… Oh, that reminds me, I need to call the office. Have you seen my phone?" He looked around at his bedside tables.

"I think Dr. Cullen has it. When I heard about the accident, he called me back on it," I answered him.

"Well, I need it, and I would like to see Emmett too. Find me a bathrobe or sheet, so I'm not baring all." He flung his blanket back and swung his feet over the edge.

"You should wait for a nurse or Dr. Cullen; I don't think you're allowed up. You still have your catheter in." I pointed out.

"She's right, Charlie. Let me remove it first, and I promise I'll swing by Emmett's room after we get your hand x-rayed." A nurse entered pushing a wheelchair.

"Sue," Charlie grumbled his greeting. "How can I convince you to stop by his room first?"

"We shall see; it depends on how cooperative you are." Sue snapped on a pair of rubber gloves then looked over at me. "I'm afraid by the time we get back; visiting hours will be over."

"I understand. Is there anything you need me to bring from home?" I asked Dad.

"A change of clothes would be great. Get a pair for Emmett, too. He'll need them when he leaves here." Dad requested.

I saw Sue press her lips into a firm line but didn't say anything. I had a feeling she was thinking the same thing as me. Emmett won't be going home any time soon.

"I will," I agreed.

I left the room and went in search of Dr. Cullen, since I needed directions to his house. At least, I would get to see Edward again, and I wondered if he was still a sweet boy.

As I turned the corner; I stopped when I heard arguing ...

**A/N: Edward has grown up since we last saw him and he has changed. I did my best with the medical part, I'm not an expert and used medical dot net sites for my information. Thoughts on the bedroom situation? I know I would be mad if I was Bella or was it okay since she was only there about two weeks out of the year? **

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 3**

"I have plans; I'm not about to hand hold and play nicey-nice with Emmett Swan's sister." I heard Edward complain.

"I'm not asking; I'm telling you to do this. I can't leave the hospital yet, so you need to show her how to get to our house. And I'm not suggesting you should hold her hand. The last thing she needs is someone showing her fake sympathy. You _will, however,_ be polite to her while she is staying with us," Dr. Cullen responded sternly.

"Then I can leave?" Edward asked.

"Your mother was hoping you'd have dinner with her tonight since school starts tomorrow," Dr. Cullen told him.

"School starting is exactly why I want to spend my last night of freedom out with my friends. It's bad enough I had to waste my whole summer here," Edward stated grumpily.

"And I thought it was teenage girls who were supposed to be melodramatic. Fine, I trust you to make the right decision," Dr. Cullen scoffed.

I snorted, I didn't know whether I should be offended or find it funny. Dr. Cullen rounded the corner, and when he spotted me, he gave me a sheepish grin.

"Edward will show you how to get to our house. If there are any changes, I'll make sure the hospital calls you," Dr. Cullen told me.

"Thank you, Doctor," I said.

"Please, call me Carlisle, especially since you'll be staying with us." He gave me a sincere smile.

"Thank you, Carlisle." I shook his hand.

He went down the hallway and disappeared into a patient's room. I spotted Edward, leaning up against the wall with his scrubs rolled up and under his arm.

"It's rude to eavesdrop you know," he said bluntly.

"I wasn't. I'm just not hard of hearing, and you both were loud enough. And your father is right; I don't need you to hold my hand. I'm a big girl." I raised an eyebrow to challenge him.

"Great, then we're on the same page," Edward said stoically. "Can we get going? I have places to be."

"Gladly," I responded. It was apparent Edward was no longer the sweet boy I once knew.

When we got into the car, Edward stopped short and circled it, running his hand along the finish. I had told Phil it was way too fancy for Forks, but he didn't listen.

"I thought you were in a hurry." I pulled open the driver's door.

He didn't respond but got in on his side then pulled out a cigarette and lighter.

"You can't smoke in here; this isn't my car," I told him.

"How did you get it then? You have to be twenty-one to rent in this state. Does your daddy know you've done something illegal?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me; it's all legal. The car belongs to a friend of mine."

"You don't see many Spyders around here," he commented.

"I'm sure you don't. Which way?" I asked at the exit.

"Left," he responded, pocketing the cigarette and lighter.

After a few moments of silence, I spoke again. "You're obviously not in Emmett's fan club."

Edward scoffed. "Gee, I'm sorry. Are you offended I don't think your brother walks on water?"

"On the contrary, I'm just surprised to find there's another person in town who isn't in his fan club," I said honestly.

Edward looked surprised. "I would've figured you were Emmett's biggest fan."

"That would be my father. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother, he's my twin. What I hate is that whenever I'm in Forks, I get sidelined. Nothing I can ever do seems like it will ever match what Emmet can do on a field or court."

"Better get used to it, especially if you're going to school here," he warned. "Turn right."

"One, I don't know how long I'm staying, and two, I already graduated," I informed him.

"How did you manage to do that? We were in the same grade." Edward looked confused.

"Take enough extra credits and summer classes and you can." I shrugged.

"You know, I think you're just jealous. Your upset your dad doesn't spend any time with you. But what about your mother? I don't see her here for Emmett?" Edward asked.

"My mother went to every playoff and championship game for Emmett she could even though we were living in Florida. She's not here because she died. My dad…he didn't even go to my graduation. Maybe it is jealousy, but I think I have the right to be." I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"I'm sorry about your mother. I didn't know." Edward seemed sincere.

"Apparently, you're not the only one. She's probably still known as the police chief's flighty ex-wife, but she was anything but," I said quietly.

"It's your next left; the driveway is hard to see that's why we have reflectors." Edward pointed to the left side of the road.

I slowed down and turned into a dirt driveway. The house looked the same as it did years ago, and Edward directed me to the garage so I could pull inside. He immediately exited the car and headed over to a motorcycle parked on the other side of the large space. He quickly slipped on a leather jacket then a black helmet.

"I'm running late; I'm sure I'll see you around," he said as he kickstarted the bike.

"Wait, aren't you going to at least introduce me to your mother?" I called after him as he sped off. "I guess not," I said to no one.

I got my bag out of the back and wheeled it out of the garage toward the closest path that went to what appeared to be the back door. It seemed weird for me to enter the house that way and not through the front, but luckily, the kitchen door opened, and Mrs. Cullen stepped out.

"Did I just hear Edward's motorcycle?" she asked, frowning.

"Yes, he said he was late for something," I told her.

Her shoulders dropped, but the smile remained on her face. "I apologize, where are my manners. I'm Esme. Welcome to our home; it's Bella, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said politely.

"No ma'am. It makes me feel ancient. Carlisle informed me about your situation; I am sorry to hear about your father and brother. They are both very well loved by this town," she said kindly.

"Thank you," I told her.

"Please, come in and get settled. I was just starting dinner; I was making Edward's favorite. I hope you like tacos." She stepped aside so I could enter.

The kitchen was large and had a homey feel to it. The cabinets were a rich cherry wood with dark gray marble on the counters that contrasted well with the cream-colored walls. Four stools stood around the kitchen island and in an alcove in the corner of the room there was a table with four chairs.

"I do. Can I be of any help?" I offered.

"No, you are a guest. It will be my pleasure to cook for someone. Do you have any food allergies?" she asked.

"None." I shook my head.

"Good to know. I'll bring you to your room. I'm sure you'd like to freshen up and relax after a long day." She led me to the stairs.

She brought me to the second floor and down a long hallway. She stopped outside a room that I could see was painted a light purple. Upon entering I could see nearly everything else was white with splashes of purple in the throw pillows and a backless settee bench at the foot of the bed.

"There's a bathroom right through there." Esme pointed to a door. "And the dresser and closet are empty, so please feel free to unpack."

"This should only be for one night; I should be able to go back to my father's house tomorrow, but thank you," I told her.

"Oh…I wasn't aware." Her smile faltered a tiny bit—she looked lonely. "The offer to stay longer remains open if you don't want to stay in a house by yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," I promised her.

She closed the door behind her, and I set my bag on the bench and pulled out my toiletry bag and a change of clothes. After I took a quick shower, I felt rejuvenated. Before I headed downstairs, I decided to check my messages. Alice had texted messaged a half- dozen times and called twice.

"Finally, I was starting to think your plane crashed or something?" Alice complained.

"I think it would be all over the news if it did, don't you?" I rolled my eyes at her dramatics.

"You know what I mean. You were supposed to call hours ago," she said.

"I got busy between the hospital and finding a place to stay," I explained.

"Why would you need a place to stay? What was wrong with your dad's house?"

"They turned my bedroom into a gym for Emmett." I snorted.

"They what? Who does that? I hope you gave him hell for it." Alice was upset.

"He's not even conscious, and the doctor's not entirely sure he will be." I sat on the edge of the bed.

Alice was silent for a few minutes on her end. "Sorry, I guess I had it in my head it wouldn't be so bad. How are he and your dad? I should've asked about that first?"

"My father is going to be okay; he has some broken ribs and wrist. Emmett, on the other hand, is in bad shape. I walked into that room, and there were so many tubes and wires attached to him—I don't even know what half of them were for. If he wakes up, there might be brain damage. He's going to need multiple surgeries," I told her.

"Wow. Are you sure you don't want me to come out there? You know my dad will be there in a heartbeat too," she said softly. "Where are you even staying? Do they even have a hotel in Forks?"

"I'll be okay; I'm staying with the doctor's family for the night. Dad promised that tomorrow, members of Emmett's team would come and get the gym equipment out of my room. Besides, having Phil here would only increase Charlie's anxiety." I sighed.

"Well, whose fault is that," Alice scoffed.

"There is something you can do for me," I said.

"Anything. Do you want Daddy to buy you a house there, because you know he would," Alice offered.

"No, that's going overboard." I shook my head at the way the Dwyers spent money like it was nothing.

"I want you to see what you can find out about Rosalie Hale. She was in Emmett's room when I got here. She claims to be his girlfriend, but Charlie says she isn't. She looked genuinely upset about Emmett," I asked.

"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Alice seemed curious.

"I'm not sure, which is why I need you. I don't know anyone who is sneakier." I snickered.

"Awww…thank you." She laughed. "On it. But she's probably a crazy obsessed fangirl."

"I know. At least I met one person in town who isn't. He's the doctor's son; I remember him from before I left."

"Is he cute?" she asked eagerly.

"Very, but a bit of an ass," I whispered, so I wasn't overheard.

"The cute ones usually are. Speaking of which, I saw Riley today, and he was asking about you," Alice informed me.

"Ugh…what did you tell him?" Riley was an annoying fly that couldn't take a hint, subtle or blatant.

"That you ran off to be with another man. I just left out the fact he was related to you. Poor guy was heartbroken." She giggled.

"You're an evil pixie but the best." I laughed. "I should go, Esme was cooking dinner, and I don't want to be rude."

"Okay, call me tomorrow," she said.

"I will," I promised.

My bedroom was closer to the main stairs, so I took them to the lower level. Along the wall, there was a series of pictures. Some of them were candids, but there was also a progression of school photos of Edward growing up. It seemed the older and taller he got the more brooding he became. Closer to the bottom of the stairs was one of Edward with a big toothy smile and glasses. That was the Teddy I remembered.

"I miss those days." Esme came up beside me. "You kids grow up so fast. Dinner is ready if you're hungry."

"Starved, actually. I haven't eaten since before I got on the plane this morning," I told her.

"Right this way. While you were in the shower, Carlisle called to say he was going into surgery. He wanted me to tell you they were going to operate on Emmett tonight. When he's out, he'll call with an update."

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Good. I hope it helps Emmett."

I said a silent prayer that everything would go okay, but I still had an uneasy feeling. The last time a family member went under the knife, the surgeon was too late.

**A/N: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. **


	5. Chapter 4

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 4**

After dinner, I sat on the Cullen's back porch with my sketchbook, using the faint light of the lamp to draw. I wouldn't be able to sleep with Emmett in surgery; my nerves were on end. Although I usually enjoyed tacos, they seemed tasteless and sat heavy in my stomach. I was glad Esme seemed understanding.

The screen door squeaked, and Esme stepped out, taking in a deep breath of the cooler air.

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, pointing to the rocking chair.

"This is your house; you don't need to ask," I told her.

"I didn't know if you would want company or if you preferred to wait alone," she said.

"I don't mind the company. However, I may not be the best right now." I gave a small smile, Esme seemed to be a sweet woman.

"I'm sure Carlisle will call soon with an update." She patted my hand before taking a seat. She pulled out the elastic, and her dark auburn hair fell loose; just past her shoulders. She leaned back and closed her eyes. "This is my favorite time of day. Everything is so peaceful."

"It is beautiful here." I looked out at the yard and spotted a few fireflies.

"Where are you and your mother living?" she asked casually.

"I live in Jacksonville, Florida, right now. However, my mother is no longer with us; she passed away," I told her. I wondered how many times I would have to repeat this while I was here.

"Goodness, I had no idea. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive," she said sincerely.

"It's not your fault; it seems as though her death has been kept quiet here in Forks." I gave her a half-hearted smile.

She shook her head. "Carlisle should've given me a heads up, but I imagine his mind has been elsewhere. I'm sorry for your loss, dear. Was she sick?"

I glanced away and slowly shook my head, trying to avoid the visuals from that night, creeping back into my mind. "No. It was a home invasion this past May."

Esme's eyes widened, and her hand clutched her chest. "How horrible. Were you…" She covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from asking.

"Yes, I was there." A tear trailed down my cheek followed by another.

"My God, you poor dear; and now your father and brother on top of it. I know you don't know us very well, but if there's anything my family and I can do to help you, all you need to do is ask," she offered.

"Thank you, but I don't think Edward would be too keen on helping me," I said absentmindedly.

Esme suddenly looked worried, and I immediately regretted speaking so freely. "What did he do?"

We were interrupted by the loud roar of a motorcycle as Edward pulled in and went straight to the garage. The motor cut and a few minutes later, he came walking out and over towards us. I was surprised to see him. The way he tore out of here earlier; I expected he was going to be gone for hours. He eyed me critically and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong, did the golden boy not make it?" he asked, stomping up the steps.

"Edward," Esme cried out, looking horrified.

He glanced at her and looked slightly admonished as my cell rang. I pulled it from my pocket and saw it was the hospital.

"I guess we're about to find out if you get your wish." I glared at him as I stood and walked to the other side of the porch to take the call.

"Hello," I answered.

"Bella, it's Carlisle," he told me.

"How did it go?" I asked.

"I was able to remove a piece of his skull in order to reduce the swelling. Unfortunately, he did go into cardiac arrest while on the table; however, we were able to stabilize him, and he's back in his room. We'll be monitoring him closely throughout the night," he explained.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "How soon will you know if it worked?"

"Maybe as early as tomorrow, but sometimes it can take a few days. There is no set time table for this condition." He sounded sympathetic.

"What about his other injuries?" I asked.

"When he is stable enough, we'll perform the other surgeries. We don't want to put him in any more stress than necessary."

"That makes sense. Thank you for everything, Dr. Cullen," I said.

"You're welcome, and as for your father, he will probably be released around noon tomorrow. He was told not to drive until he was off the pain killers," he instructed.

_Crap, I bet that meant I was going to have to play chauffeur_.

"I understand."

When we hung up, I remained in place, collecting my thoughts. I turned and nearly ran straight into Edward, who was standing behind me. I clutched my chest in surprise and hit the railing.

"Geesh, what are you doing lurking in the shadows like that?" I asked.

He raised a tissue box with one hand, and the other rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to scare you; I was waiting until you were done. I'm sorry about earlier; I was out of line."

"Don't worry about it. But, just out of curiosity, why do you hate Emmett so much, anyway?" I asked.

"I have my reasons. But, I don't want to go into it right now. My point is, my issues with him should have nothing to do with you. I'm also afraid I took my anger with my father out on you as well," he said.

His admission surprised me. I didn't expect an apology, but it was good to know he wasn't a complete asshole like I was starting to think he had become.

"It's okay. We all have bad days," I told him honestly.

"I'd like to make it up to you. How about I treat you to ice cream tomorrow after school. I do believe I owe you one." He gave me a genuine smile, and I felt my heart flutter.

"You don't have to do that. That was long ago and not your fault." I shook my head.

"I know I don't have to, but I would like to, just to prove I'm not a complete jackass." He smirked.

"I'll have to get back to you. I'm not sure what my day is going to be like tomorrow," I answered him.

"Well, at least before you leave." He winked at me.

**S**

I woke up with a start, my sweaty nightshirt clinging to me as I frantically brushed my hair from my face. The vision of my mother lying in a pool of blood still swam before my eyes as the door of the bedroom opened and banged against the wall. Edward stood in the doorway and looked around wildly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. Why are you here?" I asked, not wanting to talk about my dream.

"You screamed." Edward looked at me incredulously.

"I…there was a spider; gut reaction," I lied.

"A spider?" He raised an eyebrow and glanced around the nearly, pitch black room.

"Sorry, if I woke you," I apologized.

Edward looked about to say something when his mother appeared by his elbow.

"Is everything all right in here?" she asked, tightening her robe.

At that moment, I was thankful the room was dark so they couldn't see my embarrassment. Suddenly, Edward slammed his foot down, and rubbed it into the rug, causing both of us to jump.

"There was a spider. I got it." He raised an eyebrow, looking at me; calling my bluff.

"Next time, dear, use a tissue instead of your bare foot." Esme touched his arm, looking at his feet, bewildered.

"I'm sorry for waking you, Esme," I said.

"No harm done. Good night, kids." She smiled then went back to her room.

"Are you really okay?" Edward asked.

"Yes, and thank you for killing the spider," I said sheepishly.

He looked like he was about to say something, but he changed his mind. "You're welcome. Night."

"Good night." I laid back against the pillows as he closed the door.

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and instinctively called Alice. She picked up after a few moments.

"Whoever this is better have a good excuse for calling at four a.m." She sounded cranky and half-sleep.

"Shit. Sorry, Alice," I apologized.

"Bella?!" She suddenly was wide awake. "Is everything, okay? When I said call me tomorrow, I didn't mean this early."

"Everything is fine. I just had a nightmare and needed to talk. I guess I wasn't thinking. I forgot we aren't in the same time zone anymore," I told her.

"About your mom or …"

"That whole night," I admitted. "It was so embarrassing. Apparently, I screamed, and both Edward and his mother came rushing to my room."

"What did you say? Did you tell them?" she asked.

"I said there was a spider, which was an obvious lie; however, instead of calling me out on it, Edward killed my imaginary spider with his bare foot," I told her.

"Aww, how sweet. Maybe he's not all jerk," she cooed.

"He actually apologized for being one. He offered to buy me ice cream to make up for it."

"He asked you out on a date." I could hear the excitement in her voice.

"Alice, calm down; I'm not going to go. I don't have time to date and get in a relationship. What would be the sense, since I'll be coming home soon." I rolled my eyes.

"It's _ice cream_, Bella; he didn't ask you to marry him. Go, enjoy. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone to talk to you that won't be on Emmett channel twenty-four/seven?" she reasoned.

"Fine. You're right, there's no harm in going," I agreed. "I feel better now; thank you."

She yawned. "That's what friends are for. Call me later, preferably at a decent hour."

**S**

The morning came all too quickly, and I heard movement outside the hallways. The clock said it was only six-thirty, but I knew I wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep. I got up, got dressed, and brought my bag down by the door. I heard talking in the kitchen and headed that way.

"Edward, I do hope you will show Bella around school when she's ready." I heard Esme ask.

"She told me yesterday she already graduated so she won't be attending that hell hole," Edward responded.

"Language, Edward," Carlisle admonished.

"Oh, good for her; I assumed she would be moving here," she stated.

"I just hope she's not going to miss too much of college. Most of them have already started," Carlisle yawned.

"I'm taking a year off. I figured I earned it after all my hard work." I entered the kitchen. "I'm going to use the time to work on my second book; I have a deadline coming up soon."

The family of three looked up; the elder two appeared embarrassed at being caught talking about me while Edward smirked in amusement.

"Good morning, Bella, I hope you slept okay after your spider scare. I made plenty for breakfast; please help yourself." Esme gestured to the kitchen island.

"Good morning. Everything looks so good." I poured myself a large glass of orange juice and chose some waffles and bacon.

"You're a published writer? That's quite an accomplishment at your age. Your father must be proud," Carlisle stated, and I forced a smile since all the praise I received from Charlie was, 'that's nice, Bells.'

Esme tilted her head to the side with her butter knife frozen in mid-air. "Are you by chance I. M. Swan? I remember reading an article about a young female writer from Florida, making the New York bestsellers list."

"I am." I felt my cheeks heat, but I was secretly pleased she had heard of me.

"What genre do you write," Edward asked.

"Paranormal Romance," I told him.

He gave me a strange look. "Never heard of it. What does that even mean; ghost romance stories?"

I snorted and nearly spat out my orange juice. "No, that's not what it's about."

"I have the book upstairs if you'd like to read it. I don't want to give away the plot, but I did enjoy it, as did a few of my friends. We read it in our book club a few months back. I bet the girls would be excited to know that the young lady who wrote it has ties to Forks." Esme gave me a grin.

"I need to get going to school; can I have your keys, please?" Edward asked his mom.

"I need to run an errand to Port Angeles, I'll drop you off," Esme told him.

"No, thanks; I can't have my mommy bringing me to school. I'll just ride my bike and bring a change of clothes," Edward complained.

"Watch your tone with your mother," Carlisle scolded. "And you're not riding your bike in the rain; it's too dangerous."

"Sorry, Mom. Can I borrow _your_ car then?" Edward looked at his dad.

"I'm only home for a few hours before I have to be back. Suck it up and go with your mother." Carlisle yawned again.

"I have to pass the high school on the way to my father's. I can drop you off," I offered.

The three of them turned to me, surprised. Esme glanced between Edward and me and started to smile.

"I think that's a great idea," she said. "I can drop the car off at the high school after I'm done for you to have this afternoon."

"Then how will you get home?" Carlisle shook his head. "I'm going in around noon, I'll match it with your lunch period and pick you up. You can drop me off, but someone will need to leave a car for me later."

I looked over at Edward, waiting to see if he would argue. He shrugged and tossed his napkin on his plate before standing.

"That works. I need to leave in ten to make it in time for homeroom," he told me.

"I'll be ready," I promised as I quickly began to eat.

**A/N: Perhaps a little breakthrough with Edward. I heard through the grapevine that FF is having a glitch and it's difficult to response to reviews. I'll do my best especially if you have a question, but if you don't hear from me, you'll know why. **

**Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with me.**


	6. Chapter 5

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 5**

Edward let out a laugh as he helped me load my suitcase back into the car. I wasn't sure where I was going to end up that night, so I risked taking it with me. Esme insisted I was welcome back if I need a place to crash. She looked sorry to see me go.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Just the fact that you drive a Spyder, yet last night, you were screaming your head off about one." He smirked and raised an eyebrow at me.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "You're hilarious, but I don't suggest quitting school and becoming a stand-up comedian."

"Now is that any way to treat a guy who rescued you from an evil spider," he teased, having fun with it. "I think you should award me by letting me drive your car."

"Not going to happen, we both know there was no spider." I got in behind the wheel.

He slid in on his side a moment after. "So, what was the deal, anyway?"

"It was just a nightmare. I didn't feel like talking about it, so I said the first thing that popped into my head," I explained, starting the car and avoiding eye contact.

"Fair enough. Do you know how to get to the school from here?" he asked.

"I think so." I took a right out of his driveway.

We drove on in silence for a while, and it wasn't as tense as yesterday but still felt awkward. He was drumming his hands on his knee and staring straight ahead.

"Do you know if Rosalie Hale is dating Emmett?" I asked, casually.

"Shouldn't we be painting each other's nails or some shit, before we gossip about who is dating who?" he responded sarcastically.

"I'm just curious; she was hiding out in Emmett's bathroom yesterday, and Charlie doesn't seem to like her," I told him.

"I have no clue. I don't pay attention to that crap. I have better things to do with my time," he said.

I nodded, and we drove on in silence. He looked out the passenger window and tapped on the door in time the song on the radio. I was trying to remember where Charlie hid his house key when Edward spoke.

"Do you want me to ask around for you?" he offered.

"Naw, don't worry about it. I wouldn't want to mess with your rep by making you talk to the cool kids," I joked.

"Hey, I'm cool." He mocked, looking hurt, but his eyes twinkled with amusement.

I pulled into the school parking lot where students milled about. Many of them stopped and turned when they noticed the car. A few mouths dropped open, and I swore I could see some of the boys drooling.

"Why is everyone wearing black? That's not the school's colors," I asked.

"They're in mourning. I saw the email; everyone was asked to wear black in solidarity. There's even an assembly planned for last period," Edward answered as he unbuckled and grabbed his backpack.

"For what?" I asked. "Emmett isn't dead. Why are they treating him like he is?"

"Beats me. I plan on skipping anyway. Hell, even changing bedpans at the hospital will be better than attending that," Edward said.

"That's probably a good thing since you'll stick out like a sore thumb." Looking at his bright green shirt in comparison to the sea of black.

"Well, thanks for the ride. I'll see you around." Edward opened the door.

"See ya," I parroted.

**S**

When I arrived at Charlie's house, the first thing I noticed were the bouquets of flowers, overflowing from the doorway, down the stairs, and onto the sidewalk. I didn't think Charlie even had one vase let alone enough for all of them.

I parked and made my way towards the back of the house, leaving my bag in the car. I didn't plan on moving it until I knew where I was sleeping for the night. I took the key from under the stone frog and let myself into the house.

For a place that was supposed to feel like home, I felt out of place. I passed through the kitchen into the living room. The only pieces of furniture that changed over the years was a recliner and a large flat screen television. A pizza box laid forgotten on the coffee table with one and a half pieces left in it.

"Gross," I muttered, glancing around the rest of the room. On the mantle was a series of photos, mostly school pictures of Emmett and me over the years. There were a few that had been taken after some of Emmett's championship games.

I went to my old room first, wondering how much gym equipment was there. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as Charlie made it sound. When I pushed open the door, I was assaulted with the strong stench of dirty gym socks and stale sweat—I had to cover my nose with my hand.

There was a huge apparatus with several strings, pullies, and weights in the center of the room. To the left of it was a weight bench with weight disks piled around it. My bed had been pushed into the corner. Even if they did remove the equipment today, it would probably take weeks for the stench to leave. I opened the window a crack before I left.

Since Emmett's room was across from mine, I went there next. Maybe I should just take over his bed considering he had no qualms taking over mine. The floor wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There were a few dirty clothes scattered around, and the sheets were in tangles on the bed. But the plus was that it didn't smell like a locker room.

It felt premature to get clothes for Emmett, but if grabbing them meant avoiding an argument then I would do it. I grabbed a Sea Hawks jersey, sweatpants, and socks; however, I couldn't find underwear or boxers in any of the drawers.

"Why can't I find them." I opened and slammed each drawer before a thought occurred to me, and I froze. "Eww. I didn't need to know that."

I glanced back at his bed and had second thoughts. There weren't any pajamas in any of the drawers either. I shuddered at the thought of sleeping in a bed where my brother slept naked.

I turned quickly and glanced at his bulletin board that was covered in articles about him. I did a double take, and the clothes dropped out of my hands as I stepped closer. There were a few newer articles on the board, but they weren't about Emmett—they were about me.

He had the article I did for a local paper on my first book, and the New York Times book list with my name and title highlighted. And a third one, where I was standing at the podium, giving my Salutatorian speech. As I looked at the rest of the board, I found older articles of poetry and short stories contests I had won. I blinked back a couple of tears, overwhelmed that I wasn't forgotten by both of the men in my life.

The fact Emmett had these articles and photos meant a lot to me. I didn't think he cared that much. Occasionally, I would get congratulations from him, but he had never reached out to me. When we were first separated, I used to write to him. However, he rarely wrote back. When he did, it was short and in clipped sentences.

My phone rang, I glanced at the screen then answered.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" I greeted.

"Lunchtime; I left school to get a Frosty and some french fries. I love being a senior," Alice said. "I got some info for you on Rosalie Hale."

"Already?" I was surprised.

"Well, I couldn't get back to sleep this morning, so I decided to make myself useful," she said.

"I'm so sorry about that." I felt guilty.

"Don't apologize. So, Rosalie is a senior. She's captain of the debate team and is in the National Honor Society. She has a G.P.A of 3.98. It seems she is in a three-way tie for first place in her class with an Edward Cullen and an Eric Yorkie. She volunteers as a tutor in English and Mathematics."

"Wait, Ali, I was only looking to figure out if she was dating Emmett. Where did you get this information," I interrupted her.

"From the school files; honestly, their security is lacking. They use the school mascot as their password so anyone can get in," she said incredulously.

"That's illegal." I sighed. "I wasn't expecting you to go full-on hacker."

"It's only illegal if caught, and it's not like I was going to change grades or anything," she responded.

"Anyways," she continued. "There's no indication on her Facebook page that she is dating anyone. However, there are a few vague postings, asking for prayers for a loved one who was in the hospital. They appeared on the same day as the accident."

"That sounds too coincidental," I said.

"I agree. Though I doubt she's some kind of gold digger. Her father is president of a bank in Port Angles, and her mother is a lawyer, so I doubt they're hurting for money," she told me.

"Well, that's good to know. Thank you for looking for me, although next time, keep it legal," I said.

"No, problem. I do have to wonder what a smart girl like Rosalie sees in Emmett. They seem like polar opposites," Alice commented.

I had to admit the same thought occurred to me. Rosalie was obviously intelligent and well off. I wouldn't call Emmett dumb, but they did appear to be different. However, I never really paid attention to the girls Em was attracted to before.

"They do say opposites attract." I shrugged. I glanced at the board, wondering if I should tell Alice about my findings but changed my mind.

"I guess. I wouldn't know, all the guys at school just seem so immature this year." Alice sighed. "Well, I should get back. Talk to you later."

**S**

When I arrived at the I.C.U., Cora was behind the desk and gave me a smile as I walked up.

"Good morning, you can go right down. The doctor on call is making his rounds, it's Dr, Gernaldy until noon," she told me.

"Thank you." I gave her a wave and a smile before heading to Emmett's room first.

A tall gentleman with dark gray hair was typing on the keyboard of a computer when I entered the room. He peered over the top of his glasses and gave me a stern smile. I recognized him as our family doctor from years ago.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"I'm Bella Swan, Emmett's my brother. Cora said it was okay to come in." I stood in the doorway.

His smile warmed. "You've grown up since I last saw you. You look a lot like your mother. I'm sorry to hear she passed. She was a charming woman; I was happy to hear she found some happiness in the Florida sunshine."

"Thank you, sir. How is Emmett doing today?" I asked.

"There's good news and some not so good news. The swelling in his brain has stopped, which is great. However, it hasn't gone down yet, either. So better than yesterday, but he has a long way ahead of him," he explained.

"Oh." I had been hoping for more.

The doctor gave me a sympathetic look. "He's still fighting; your brother is strong like an ox, if anyone can fight through this, it would be him."

"Can he hear us, while he is in a coma?" I asked, glancing at Emmett.

Dr. Gernaldy sighed. "His coma is as deep as they can get. Most doctors would probably tell you no. However, I like to be more optimistic, and talking to him could only help. We will still check on him routinely through the day, and he'll have another scan this afternoon."

"Have there been any more seizures?" I asked.

"Not since the surgery, which is a very good thing. I'll be around if you have any questions. Your father will probably be released after lunch. His blood pressure is higher than I'd like. I'm not surprised, due to the stress, but it needs to be in better control before we let him go," he told me as he slid the keyboard under the monitor before pushing the computer stand out of the way.

"Thank you, doctor," I said.

Once he left the room, I placed the clothes on the windowsill and took a seat beside Emmett. His head was wrapped in a bandage that wasn't there yesterday, but everything else seemed like was before.

"Hey, little brother, I don't think I've ever seen you stay this still. You're becoming very lazy," I teased. "If this was your plan to skip school, I can think of much better ways to do it."

I paused for a minute and watched the beeps on the monitor. There was no change to give me any indication he could hear me.

"You should see the front yard; Dad is going to have a coronary. That vain in his forehead will be bulging right out of his head. It looks like a float from the Rose parade blew up. There are flowers everywhere. It's the first time I have seen so much color in Forks." I snorted.

"I heard from the grapevine that the school is having an assembly today in your honor. You mean a lot to the people of this town, but I'm sure you know that." I paused, not wanting to tell him how depressing it actually looked to me.

"I brought clothes for you, and eww, by the way, I didn't need to know you go commando or that you sleep naked; that's way TMI. So, I think it's only fair you know I use tampons, not pads, and take Midol for the cramps." I smirked.

"Oh, and by the way, you could have asked before you turned my room into your personal gym; it stinks in there now. When you get better, I fully expect you to wash down all the walls and shampoo the carpet, so it doesn't smell like your armpits after a game, forever."

I changed the subject to something more cheerful. "Do you remember going to the Enchanted Forest when we were kids? It was the summer before everything changed. I remember the ride was incredibly long, but we all had fun. Well, except for the haunted house; to this day, I still can't go into one. Who would have thought today, I would have vampires and wolves in my stories after that experience?"

I spent the next few hours talking about random things and other times just sitting beside him in silence. I knew with Charlie being released from the hospital I didn't have to stay. However, there was a voice in the back of my head telling me I should stick around.

**A/N: Enchanted Forest is a real place in Oregon. Some small insights into Emmett. A few of you mentioned why doesn't she take over Emmett's room. I have my reasons. Besides would you want to sleep in your teenage brother's bed, especially if he slept naked? I wouldn't.**

**Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with me. **


	7. Chapter 6

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 6**

I awoke to the smell of burgers and fries. At first, I was confused as to where I was until Emmett came into focus. I shifted in the chair; my muscles stiff from being in one position for too long. The smell of greasy food was still strong, so it had to be nearby. Glancing around, I found it on the table closest to me, and I spotted a white bag with a note attached and a cup

_I thought you might get hungry, and I know from experience the food here taste like shit. -Edward_

"What time is it?" I wondered out loud.

"It's just after noon."

I jumped at the sound of Edward's voice; he stood in the doorway of the bathroom smirking at me. He was wearing his scrubs and had a bucket in one hand.

"Don't do that," I scolded.

"What, answer your question? Most girls get pissy when guys don't answer them," he teased.

"I meant don't _scare _me, I didn't know you were in the room." I rolled my eyes.

"You seem to spook so easily." He pointed out.

I shrugged. "Thanks for the food, it was very nice of you. Are you skipping on your first day?"

"I told you changing bedpans would be better than going to a memorial service," he scoffed, heading toward the door.

"Shhh." I gestured with my eyes to Emmett.

Edward glanced at him with a blank look. "It's not like he can hear us."

"We don't know that for sure," I argued as he stepped out of the room.

He reappeared a moment later. "I'm not trying to be insensitive just factual."

"Still, even if there's the slightest chance, we shouldn't be talking about him like he isn't right here. How would you feel if you heard people were basically treating you as if you were already dead while you're fighting for your life?" I asked.

He nodded curtly and shrugged. "You're right. I may hate the guy, but I don't wish him dead." Edward disappeared into the bathroom.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked, opening the bag.

"Nothing. Consider it my apology for being a jerk yesterday," he said.

"Oh. Thank you," I said, mildly disappointed.

"Why did you say _thank you _like that?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's nothing. I was just going to take you up on your offer for the ice cream." I blushed. "I didn't mean to come across as ungrateful."

"The burger and fries were for yesterday. The ice cream was to make up from years ago. So that offer is still open if you want to go for ice cream," Edward said

"You're not taking her anywhere," Dad spoke up from the doorway.

I turned to see him standing there in his hospital gown and robe, looking angry. Edward didn't seem surprised or upset, he just raised an eyebrow. But I lost my temper, because who did he think he was, telling me who I could be around.

"I can answer for myself, thank you.'' I shot him a look then turned back to Edward. "What time?"

"I'll be done here by six," he told me, ignoring Charlie.

"Six sounds great," I agreed.

Edward tried to leave, but Charlie stood in his way, blocking his path. He may be intimidating to some but not while wearing a flimsy hospital gown. Edward also had several inches on him. Edward side stepped him easily and slid out of the room.

"Young lady, I am your father, and I am ordering you not to go anywhere with Edward Cullen," he said sternly.

"I'm legally an adult, I can go with whomever I please," I scoffed.

"Edward is bad news. He and your brother don't get along. While you're living under _my_ roof, you'll abide by _my _rules," Charlie ordered.

"However, I don't live under _your_ roof. You turned my bedroom into a gym, and ironically pushed me into staying at the Cullen's," I retorted.

"That will be taken care of today… or tomorrow, since the boys have practice. Until then, you can sleep on the couch or take your brother's room," Charlie said.

"Even if they do move the equipment, the smell is too bad. Esme offered for me to stay as long I needed, and I accepted her offer," I informed him.

Charlie was starting to turn red in the face; he wasn't used to me holding my ground against him. However, that changed when I got emancipated after Mom died. I was still thankful Phil stepped in and not only suggested it but helped me get it done quickly so I wouldn't be sent back to Washington.

"Is there a problem in here?" Carlisle asked, coming into the room.

"No, problem at all. I was just explaining to my father that I was taking Esme up on her offer to stay at your place," I said before Charlie could say anything.

Carlisle started to smile. "That's nice to here. I know Esme enjoyed the company last night. I'm afraid I've been busier than normal the past few days."

Charlie's anger faded as he glanced at the doctor then to Emmett. He managed a grimace-like smile. "Thank you for having her, Doc. Did you bring my clothes, Isabella?" he asked.

I knew he was still pissed since he addressed me so formally. "They're on the windowsill."

He nodded gruffly. "I'm going to change, but I'd like to sit with your brother for a bit before you take me home. I think we should head out about six."

I narrowed my eyes, knowing what he was doing and not about ready to give in so easily. "I have plans then, can I give you a ride earlier?"

"I don't want to rush away from your brother," Charlie refused.

"I'm off at six, Charlie, I can give you a ride home," Sue said as she entered the room with an I.V. bag in her hand to switch out with the old one.

"That's sweet of you, thank you, Sue." I smiled at her.

"Yes, thank you, Sue," Charlie parroted but not as happily.

Carlisle looked between us with a bit of confusion and concern. "Well, now that that's settled, I'm going to order another C.T. If Emmett stays seizure free for the next twenty-four hours, I think it will be safe to start looking at the other operations."

"The sooner, the better, Doc." Charlie looked more hopeful.

"As long as he needs," I said at the same time.

Carlisle's lips twitched. "I'll do my best. Sue, could you get Emmett ready to be moved; I'll be right back to help you." Carlisle quickly finished typing in the computer.

"Yes, doctor," she agreed.

Dr. Cullen left the room, and Charlie went into the bathroom behind me. Sue gave me a glance as I grabbed my bag of food.

"It's stopped raining, and there are picnic tables by the East entrance if you're interested," she suggested.

"You know what, that sounds like a great idea, thank you." I was relieved I wouldn't have to sit here in an uncomfortable silence with Charlie.

**S**

After I finished my food, I decided on taking a walk around the building to clear my head. I was torn on what I was going to do. Charlie was going to be out of the hospital, and I was sure he had enough connections that I wouldn't have to drive him around. However, his comment about the _sooner, the better_ with Emmett stuck a cord with me. I was beginning to get worried he would rush Emmett's recovery before he was ready.

But then, Emmett didn't stick around for me when I needed someone. However, I had Alice and Phil for that, but who did Emmett have?

I spotted Rosalie up ahead. She was standing with her arms crossed, looking up at the building. She was gazing in the approximate area of Emmett's room. She was dressed in a black skirt and a red shirt.

"I bet you stood out at the assembly today," I called out to her.

Her head whipped around so fast her hair fanned outward. When she saw it was me calling to her, she turned on her heel and headed back to the parking lot. I hurried after her, wanting to talk.

"Wait, please, I just want to talk to you," I called out.

She paused and looked over her shoulder at me skeptically. "What could we possibly talk about?"

"Well, I figured if you were really Emmett's girlfriend, then you'd like to know how he's doing?" I came to a stop, facing her.

Her face softened, and I saw the emotion behind her eyes before she could hide it. "I don't think your father would appreciate you telling me anything. He has basically had me barred from the hospital unless I'm bleeding."

"Then you'll be pleased to know I think my father can be a jerk, and I don't always do what he says, especially when I think he's wrong," I told her. "I'm not blind, I can tell you care about Emmett. And it's different from what I've seen from his regular fangirls."

"We aren't officially dating; we've never been on a real date. Your dad doesn't approve of Emmett dating anyone, he thinks girls would only distract him. But I know he cares about me like I do him," she said honestly as she started to let down her guard.

I snorted. "So I gathered from his tirade. You don't seem the type to be a gold digger either." I left out the part about Alice researching her.

"How bad is it?" She looked at me with pleading eyes.

"I won't lie to you, it's not very good. He had an operation last night to remove part of his skull to hopefully relieve the pressure from all the swelling. And while they have been able to stop it, it hasn't gone down either. They're doing another scan now. He's had a couple of seizures, and even went into cardiac arrest, but he has been stable since the surgery. His shoulder and knee are also messed up, and he will have more surgeries once he's stable," I explained.

"Oh, God, it's worse than I …" Rosalie covered her mouth as a few tears escaped from her eyes. "Will he…" She had to stop for a moment.

"Play sports again?" I finished for her, feeling my hackles start to rise.

"No … will he, will he wake up." Rosalie shook her head.

I relaxed my shoulder and felt guilty I jumped to a conclusion. "To be honest, they're not sure. I do have to warn you there is a possibility he will have brain damage."

She was quiet for a minute and looked insulted. "And you think I'd abandon him if he did?"

"Let's be fair, I don't know you very well. Every time I come back to Forks, I see how much the people worship my brother…and it's all because of his athletic ability. My father more than anyone. So yes, I'm worried what that means if he can't play anymore. If he has brain damage, he'll never be the same, so yes, it's better to walk away now," I told her.

"I'm not going anywhere. What about you? Are you telling me you're sticking around or are you going to run off like your mother?" she accused.

"My mother never ran," I stated firmly. "She left to take care of my grandmother. I found out years later, she had been diagnosed with seasonal depression, meaning that all the rain and cloudy weather in Forks adversely affected her, and she needed more sunshine. It sounds made up, but it's a real thing. I know my father didn't believe it, which is why he refused to move. He didn't want to start over someplace new, and Emmett stayed with him."

Rosalie looked abashed. "Sorry, the rumors around town are that she ran off with another man."

"The rumors are false. My mother didn't start dating until three years after we left. She only got engaged the Christmas before she passed," I explained, tired of Mom getting blamed as if she was the bad guy.

"Well, will you be leaving again?" Rosalie asked in a calmer voice.

I sighed. "I don't know. When I first got here, that was the plan. I have a life in Florida and whenever I am here…well, that's not important at the moment. However, I'm worried about what will happen to Emmett if he can't play sports anymore and is permanently disabled."

"You think the chief would abandon him?" Rosalie's eyes grew as big as saucers. "I didn't even think of that."

"I hope I'm wrong, but Emmett's sports are all he's ever seemed to care about," I admitted. "So, what do you say, Rosalie, truce?"

"Truce. But please call me, Rose." She gave me a small smile.

"I'll do my best to keep you informed, Rose," I promised her.

"Thank you, and I lied. Emmett does talk about you. When you made the New York Times bestsellers list, that's all he could talk about for days," she told me.

"Emmett read my book?" I asked in surprise.

"Well…" Rose bit her lip, looking sheepish.

"That's okay, I'm not surprised. Paranormal Romance isn't a popular genre with teenage males." I snickered. "I just wish he would have told me."

"I think it bothers him you two aren't close. He doesn't seem to understand why you don't like to be around him," Rose explained.

I sighed. "That mostly has to do with how my father treats us. I've taken a backseat to Emmett so many times over the years, and I have become resentful. I just assumed Emmett felt the same as Dad since he never said anything. I think we both have a lot to make up for."

I just hope we get the chance.

**A/N: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. **


	8. Chapter 7

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 7**

I walked into Emmett's room and immediately had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes. Charlie was sitting in the chair, watching a replay of the Mariners' game last night. He glanced at me suspiciously when I entered.

"Where did you go?" he asked.

"I went outside to eat my lunch and then took a walk," I answered.

"Did you bring anything back? I'm getting rather hungry myself," he commented.

"No, sorry. Edward was nice enough to bring me lunch, I didn't go to the cafeteria," I told him. "Have Emmett's results come back yet?"

"About Edward…" Charlie started then stopped when Carlisle came into the room.

The doctor was smiling, so I hoped it was a good omen. "I'm pleased to report the swelling has gone down; it's not a significant amount at this time, but it's progress."

"How soon will he wake up? The season is getting underway, and I know Emmett wouldn't want to miss it," Dad asked.

Dr. Cullen's smile waned as he appeared to be concerned. "Charlie, I hope I didn't give you any misconceptions, but it still may be quite a long while before Emmett awakes. Even then, he'll be looking at weeks of therapy. The chances of him playing football this season are highly unlikely. I wouldn't count on wrestling or basketball this winter either."

"You don't know my boy like I do, Carlisle, he'll be back on his feet no sooner than he opens his eyes." Charlie stood. "I'm going to get myself something to eat since it didn't cross my daughter's mind to bring me anything. Let me know if there are any more changes."

He turned to me. "Can I trust you to care enough to stay with your brother while I'm gone?"

"I have nothing planned until six, so take your time," I responded with a tight-lipped smile.

When he left, I sank into the chair he had vacated and then turned off the television. I heard the clicking of computer keys and realized Carlisle was still in the room.

"Just so you know, you haven't given us any misconceptions," I said quietly.

He glanced away from the computer screen and slightly nodded his head. "I'm glad to hear it. However, I'm rather concerned about something else."

"That Ch…my father is going to push Emmett too hard to get better?" I questioned.

He slid the keyboard away and stepped away. "There is that. However, I will make sure Emmett's care isn't rushed." He headed to the door, glanced out into the hallway, then closed it.

He ran his hand through his blond hair and sat at the edge of the other chair. "I know you're not my patient, and I may be misreading things, so forgive me if I'm wrong. Do you feel safe with your father?" he asked cautiously.

I blinked in surprise. "Are you asking me if my father abuses me? He's never hit me." I shook my head.

"There are more forms of abuse than just physical, and I've seen some warning signs. You don't seem comfortable in his presence, and there have been other comments he's made that have raised some flags. I questioned at first why you were able to get emancipated, but I think I can see for myself why," he said calmly.

"I don't think it still qualifies as abuse. My father…we just never had much in common. He's always connected with Emmett more. True, he has never shown interest in my writing, or my life for that matter, but he's never been mean or hateful about it either." I shrugged my shoulders.

Carlisle paused for a moment and gave me a sympathetic smile. "Neglect can be considered emotional abuse. Do you have a support system in Florida?"

I smiled, thinking about them. "I do, my best friend, Alice, and her father, Phil. Phil and my mother were engaged when she died. They're like family, and I'm currently living in their pool house."

"I'm happy to hear that. Please, don't hesitate to come to Esme or me if you need someone while you're here. I'm pleased you've chosen to stay with us." He stood.

"Thank you, Carlisle," I said to him.

When he got to the door, he paused in the hall, where I could still see him. He motioned for someone to come over. Edward appeared a moment later, looking stoic.

"Since you started two hours earlier than you were normally scheduled, I think it's only fair you can leave two hours early," Carlisle told him.

"Really?" Edward looked surprised. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. Just make sure you call or text your mother if you won't be home for dinner. Normal curfew for a school night." Carlisle pulled out his wallet and handed over some bills.

"What's this for?" Edward questioned, staring at Carlisle's outstretched hand.

Carlisle nodded his head to me. "I heard through the grapevine you were taking Bella for ice cream; it's my treat."

"And there's no catch?" Edward said suspiciously, taking the money.

"Just as I said, please be home by curfew. I'm assuming you won't need my car since you'll be traveling with Bella?" He glanced at me.

I nodded my head. "We'll use my car. Thank you."

"Thanks," Edward agreed.

"Good, you two kids have fun." He patted Edward on the shoulder then continued down the hall.

"So we can head out of here just after four. I'll just have to change first." Edward looked at me.

"Sure, I'll meet you in the lobby downstairs," I agreed.

After he left, I was alone with Emmett. I pulled my knees up to my chest and watched him for a moment.

"You know, I hate we aren't close too," I said quietly.

**S**

I read the board over the windows as I tried to decide what flavor to choose. A few of them had been crossed out since it was now later in the season. Edward waited patiently beside me with his hands in his pockets.

"I'll have a small Moose Tracks on a sugar cone, please," I asked.

"Coming right up. How about you grab a picnic table for us," Edward suggested.

"Okay." I glanced around and saw that a few were taken by high school students.

I choose one away from the crowd. I found it nerve-racking as heads seemed to swivel in my direction as I passed them. I felt self-conscious as I quickened my steps and ducked my head. In my haste, I tripped over the uneven pavement but caught myself before I hit the ground.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward called out.

"Yup." I saluted with my hand. "Just peachy," I added under my breath.

If everyone wasn't looking at me before, they were now. I hurried to take a seat and focused on the street, trying to ignore the whispering.

Edward joined me a moment later and held a cone out to me. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I think I demonstrated rather well why I don't do sports like Emmett and…" I glanced over my shoulder, then back at him. "I can say I don't miss high school a bit."

"Can you blame them? It's a small town, and you're the new shiny object, or you're driving it." Edward smirked, licking his ice cream. "Then there's the fact that rumors have already circulated that…"

"Hi!" A bubbly blonde interrupted us. She was wearing a tight, Forks' High cheerleader T-shirt and a pair of shorts. "You must be Emmett's sister."

"Her name is Bella, Lauren," Edward stated, looking annoyed.

She ignored him, tossing her hair over her shoulder and ignored him. "My name is Lauren, and I thought I should introduce myself since I'm your brother's girlfriend."

"Oh, funny, Facebook says he single and he's never mentioned you." I told her the same thing I told Rosalie when we first met.

She flitted her hand. "Pfft. That's because he hasn't asked to make it official yet since he didn't know I made cheer captain yet. It was between Jess and me."

I raised my eyebrow. "Are you saying, Emmett is so superficial that he would only date the cheerleader _captain_?"

"Well duh, Emmett's super on the field; that's why he's captain, and I'm captain, so it's only right," she answered with a bop of her head.

Edward snorted and shook his head. "That's not what superficial means."

Lauren scowled at him. "No one is talking to you." She turned back to me. "So…uh…um…"

"Bella…" Edward prompted, rolling his eyes.

"Bella, you're welcome to join us at our table. We're all your brother's friends." She pretended like she didn't forget my name.

"Thank you anyway, but I'm good here," I told her then started to eat my ice cream.

"But I don't think Emmett…" she started to argue.

"Do you need us to spell it out for you like a cheer? Give me a B…Y…E…what's that spell, bye," Edward said obnoxiously.

Lauren flipped him off, then headed back to her table in a huff. I snorted, unable to contain my laughter. My ice cream hit my nose, and Edward started to laugh.

"You got something." He indicated to my face.

I wiped it away and started to giggle. "Wow, she's something. Rosalie is looking better and better."

"Rosalie is too smart for him," Edward commented dryly.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"What I mean…" Edward got distracted, looking at something behind me. "Is round two is about to happen."

I turned my head to see boys in practice jerseys walking towards us. I recognized them as Mike and Tyler from Emmett's other games. When Mike caught my eye, he gave me a big grin.

"Hey, I heard you were in town," he said.

"Hi, Mike," I said.

"Ty and I were about to head to your dad's house after this to take care of the equipment in your room. I'll be happy to give you a ride over there," he offered.

"That won't be necessary. Thank you, but since I'll be staying with the Cullens, moving the equipment is no longer necessary." I focused on my ice cream.

Mike glanced at Edward, sizing him up, as Edward met his glare with an arched eyebrow. He then sat backward on the bench I was occupying, nearly sitting on my lap if I hadn't slid over quickly. He kept his back to Edward and leaned in and not-so-quietly whispered into my ear.

"I don't think that's a wise idea. The chief and Emmett won't like you hanging around Cullen. It's better if you come with me. Just play along." His breath was hot against my ear and made me cringe.

"So, Betty, I'll take you to dinner and show you around town. Let's say we blow this pop stand?" He stood and offered his hand to me.

"No, thanks," I refused.

"Wait…what…why?" Mike looked confused.

"First of all, my name is Bella, not Betty. Second of all, I am here with Edward, and it would be rude to leave. Thirdly, I'm from Forks, it hasn't changed that much since I left. Fourthly, I'm just not interested in the slightest to go anywhere with you. I can decide for myself who I want to be around without my father or my brother's permission. Good luck on your season, you're going to need it without Emmett."

Mike looked at me in complete shock that I had turned him down. His hand still hung in the air for a few moments more before it dropped to his side. Tyler, however, looked worried and came closer to the table.

"Emmett is out for the season?" Tyler sounded upset.

"Most likely; he's still in a coma," I said incredulously.

"How can he do this to us?" Tyler pulled at his hair. "We don't stand a chance."

"Well, maybe if the other team members pulled their own weight rather than putting everything on one guy, then you wouldn't be so pathetic," Edward stated.

"Shut up, Cullen, this doesn't concern you," Mike snapped.

"You're the one that came over here and interrupted our date by inserting your nose where it doesn't belong. So, both of you can fuck off," Edward retorted, getting to his feet his free hand balled in a fist at his side.

For a moment, I thought a fight was going to break out between Edward and Mike. They stood almost chest to chest, eyeing one another. Edward had several inches on him, but I also knew Mike was a defensive tackler. I glanced at Tyler just as he placed a hand on Mike's shoulder.

"Mike, don't fight with Cullen, the coach will kick you off the team. We're already down our best player." Thankfully, he sounded reasonable.

Mike took a couple of steps away then turned his back, and without another word, he walked back to his area where the group of kids were still watching us with vapid interest. Tyler walked backward a few steps keeping his eyes on Edward before spinning around.

Edward glared at them for a few moments before sitting. I tucked my hair behind my ear, unsure what to say. Things had certainly changed since we were young.

"Sorry about that," Edward muttered.

"You weren't the one causing the problem, you don't need to apologize," I said. "So, this is a date?" I changed the subject.

He broke his stare away from the group and met my eyes then shrugged, looking sheepish. "Does it need a label? I only said that to get him to back off. If I were going to take you on a date, it would be nicer than somewhere in Forks."

We were able to finish our ice creams in peace. The high school group ignored us for the most part. Every once in a while, I felt as if someone was staring, and when I threw away my wrapper, I saw Mike nudge Tyler with his elbow.

"Are you ready to go? I had about enough of feeling like a goldfish in a bowl," Edward asked.

"One minute, I would like to bring something back for your mom, for being so nice. What is her favorite?" I walked back to the counter.

"She likes their brownie sundaes with chocolate ice cream," Edward answered me.

When we had our order, we started to make our way to my car. I noticed we were being followed by Mike and Tyler. I hoped they weren't going to cause trouble.

"The offer is still open if you'd like a ride, I wouldn't trust Cullen to drive," Mike said.

"I have my own car, and I'm driving." I made a big show of hitting the button to unlock the car.

The boys stood in their tracks as their jaws slacked when they watched the lights blink and the car beep. Edward snickered under his breath and opened the car door for me and took the ice cream.

"That's yours?" Tyler asked in awe.

"Yes, why else would I have the keys," I said incredulously.

"If you're smart, you won't let Cullen drive it," Mike stated.

I paused before getting in. "If you were smart, you'd realize I don't care what you think."

Mike scowled. "Fine, at least I can tell Emmett I tried."

"Tried what? Being an annoying thorn in my side? You can tell Emmett you succeeded," I retorted and got into the car and slammed the door.

When Edward got in, he was openly laughing and flipped off both of the boys, who were still standing there. I was half tempted to slam on the gas and run them over. But they quickly moved out of the way.

"So, did you move on from stealing candy bars to cars or something?" I asked.

Edward's laughter instantly faded. "No. I don't steal anything."

"What were they trying to get at then?" I started to drive away.

"I don't steal cars, I race them," Edward said with a smirk.

"Like street racing? Is that legal in Washington?" I glanced at him.

"No, it's not. I got caught and luckily got sentenced to community service. My father tacked on more of it as his own punishment," he answered.

"Just racing? You didn't even crash or anything? That doesn't sound too bad." In fact, it sounded a little exciting.

"If you'd like I can take you to where they race. There's one this weekend," he offered.

"My father would hate it." I smirked. "Sounds like fun. I'm in."

**A/N:  
In case your curious, Moose Tracks ice cream is ****vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and famous Moose Tracks fudge. So now you know why Carlisle is hard on Edward and why Edward is doing community service. **

**Thank**** you for sharing your thoughts with me.**


	9. Chapter 8

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 8**

When we arrived back at the house, Esme was in the kitchen chopping carrots. She looked up with a smile when we walked through the door.

"You're home earlier than I expected. I'm not sure if you're still hungry after the ice cream, so I was preparing a lighter meal. I grilled some chicken this morning, and I was going to put it on a salad," she said.

"That sounds great," I told her. "This is for you." I handed over the ice cream container.

"You brought me brownie sundae; you kids are so sweet." Esme looked touched.

"It was Edward's idea." I decided to give him the credit.

Edward looked at me in surprise as Esme's grin grew wider. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. His ears reddened, but he smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you, Teddy," she gushed.

"Mom, I told you I'm too old for that nickname." Edward sounded mortified.

"You'll always be my little boy." Esme smirked.

I couldn't help but giggle at her remark. Edward shot me look, and I tried to stop by pressing my lips together. But I only started to shake and a then a snort escaped. Edward snickered and sighed in resignation.

"I'm going to take Bella's bag back upstairs." He shook his head as he headed for the stairs.

"I can finish making the salads if you'd like to eat your ice cream," I offered.

"Dessert before the meal," Esme pondered. "Why not? You only live once."

She took a seat at the counter while I washed my hands and took over preparing the vegetables.

"I'm glad you and Edward have made amends. I was worried that what happened with Emmett would affect how he was with you," she softly said before taking a large bite of her treat.

"He apologized for that." I hoped I hid my surprise at her reaction.

I had suspected something had happened, but I didn't know exactly what it was. Despite being a jock, Emmett never seemed to be the bullying type. At first, I assumed they didn't ger along because they were like oil and vinegar.

"Oh, dear, I said too much." Esme looked worried.

"I was suspicious before you even said anything. I had asked Edward, but he didn't want to talk about it, so I think it's best we leave at that," I said, glancing at the stairs.

"Agreed." Esme nodded. "How's your brother?"

I noticed she left out Charlie. "The swelling in his head has come down, and he's been seizure-free for a while."

"Good. I hope he's on the upswing," Esme said.

Later, I was about to head to my room when Edward stopped me in the hallway.

"Why did you give me the credit for the ice cream? That was all your idea," he asked but didn't seem upset.

"I don't know, it was a last-minute decision. She's such a sweet woman. She also seems very lonely, so I thought it would be a nice thing to do for her. I thought she would appreciate it more if it came from you." I leaned against the door jamb.

"Are you saying, I don't treat my mom as good as I should?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"No, not at all. I don't know the two of you well enough to judge. However, at the same time, I have seen the sadness in her eyes when you're rude to her. I just hope you realize what a great mom you have before she's taken from you the way mine was from me." I bit my lip. "I wasn't trying tooverstep."

Edward checked the hall before he spoke. "She can be smothering."

I shrugged. "I'd take smothering before completely ignored."

Edward paused before giving a short nod. "I suppose."

"I'm sorry if I overstepped," I apologized.

"It's okay. I think you're right. I hate seeing her upset too. Sometimes I say stuff before I really even think about how it comes out," he admitted. "I have some homework to do, so I'll see you later." He headed for his room.

"Night, Teddy," I teased.

He looked over his shoulder at me with narrowed eyes. "Good night, Betty," he retorted, making me laugh.

**S**

I logged onto my computer and opened up to my last chapter. I should check with Carlisle to see if it would be okay for me to bring my laptop into Emmett's room while I sat with him. Before I started writing, I hit the speed dial on my phone.

"I hate Shakespeare…no I loathe…Shakespeare." Was my greeting.

"Alice, wherefore thou heavy?" I smirked.

"Did you just call me fat?" Alice gasped.

I burst out laughing. "No, why are you sad?"

"Ugh…if you were here right now, I would so throw this ham omelet book at you," she threatened jokingly.

"Knowing you, you'd miss me by a foot," I teased.

"At least it would be a foot closer than you. If you threw it, you'd probably only wind up hitting yourself," she retorted.

"True," I agreed, and we both started laughing. "Did you just refer to Hamlet as ham omelet?"

"Yes, his acting is hammy, and everything that happens is a scrambled mess," she complained.

"Alice Dwyer, are you watching it instead of reading," I accused.

"I thought if I watched it, I would understand what they were saying better, you know facial cues and body language—not that it's helping." She sighed dramatically. "Google really needs to add Shakespeare to its translator."

"Have you tried asking Suri?" I joked.

"No, do you think it would work?" she sounded excited.

I shook my head. "I was kidding. In all seriousness, ask Katie to help you. She likes Shakespeare and has done some productions at the community theatre."

"I forgot about that. That's a great idea. So…did you tell Edward yes about the ice cream," she prompted.

"We actually went out today," I answered her.

"How did it go?" She sounded excited.

"Okay, but the people in this town are nosy busybodies. A few of them decided they had to intercede on Emmett's behalf."

"I hope you told them off," she huffed.

"Of course. We're going out this weekend too," I told her.

"Yay! You have to take a picture of him and send it to me. I want to see what this guy looks like." She sounded happy for me.

"I'll try," I promised her. "I talked to Rose. Seems she and my brother aren't officially dating because of my father. He thinks she would be a distraction."

"Puh-lease. I swear I'm starting to think your father is trying to live through your brother. I'm glad you're coming home soon," she stated.

"About that…"

"Uh-uh…no. Bella. Your father's out of the hospital, so there's no reason for you to stay," Alice stated before I could finish.

"I'm not staying for good. But the way Charlie is talking, I'm afraid he's going to rush Emmett's recovery," I explained.

"Okay…but, howis that your problem?" she asked.

"According to Rose, Emmett hates the fact we aren't close, and he was excited about my book," I told her what I found out today.

"Yet, why didn't he ever tell you himself? Why didn't he rush here after that night? I just don't want you hopeful for something that isn't there." She didn't seem convinced.

I didn't respond and thought over her words. Was she right, and was I grasping at straws? The silence grew awkward between us.

"B, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a bitch," she apologized.

"You had a point; I don't want to get suckered in either. When I saw the articles about me posted in his room, I just had a glimmer of hope. I haven't made any decisions yet. It's just not that black and white," I said.

"You didn't tell me that. It sounds sweet, but it seems like something is missing. If he wanted to be close, he didn't try that hard," she reasoned. "Ugh…I'm sorry. I know you'll make the right decision. I'll keep my mouth shut."

"No, I appreciate your opinion. I can always trust you to be honest with me," I told her.

"Good. Sorry to cut this short, but I need to get back to this so I can figure out who Yorick is."

"He was the court jester," I informed her, snickering.

"Really? That just proves I'll never get Shakespeare." Alice sighed in resignation.

"Alas, sweet Alice, parting is such sweet sorrow," I said with a flourish.

"That I actually got. Good night, B." She giggled.

"Night, Ali."

**S**

I wrote for a couple hours before deciding to take a break and get a snack. I headed for the kitchen and found Edward in the process of the same thing. He had an air popper on the counter and was making a large bowl of popcorn. The delish smell caused my belly to rumble.

Edward looked up when I entered the room. "Would you like some?

"Yes, please. It smells good." I sat on the stool across from him.

"I usually put parmesan and garlic on it, is that okay? Or would you rather have something else?" Edward asked.

"I'll try it your way. Would you like anything to drink?" I went to the cabinet for a glass.

"I'll take a root beer from the fridge, please."

I filled my glass with water and grabbed his soda. I brought them back to the counter, and he slid the large bowl over to me.

"Homework all done?" I asked.

"Yes. Only one teacher was jerky enough to give an assignment other than reading the syllabus and covering your book on the first day. I'm going to watch _Big Bang Theory _if you'd like to join me. You don't have to stay in your room," he said.

"I love that show; Alice and I watch it all the time." I picked up my snack and followed him into the den.

"Is that your friend that owns the car?" Edward asked, taking a seat on the couch.

"Actually, the car belongs to her father. He leased it for me so I would have something to drive out here." I was more comfortable sharing more of myself with him now. I took a seat on the opposite end.

"That was very nice of him. I have to get better friends with giving parents," Edward said jokingly.

"Phil has been more than just Alice's dad. He's been more of a father to me than my own, even after my mother's death," I explained.

"He sounds like a good man. But enough with the heavy." He used the remote to turn on the television and looked at me when I laughed.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I used heavy in a sentence when talking to Alice earlier tonight about Shakespeare. Wherefore thou heavy. She thought I was calling her fat."

Edward smirked. "She's not a Shakespeare fan I take it."

"Not in the least. She's more into technology and fashion," I told him.

"And books where humans fall in love with vampires and werewolves," Edward said.

"You checked out my book?" I raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that bad." He shrugged.

"Not that bad? Thanks a lot." I tossed a piece of popcorn at him.

He laughed when it hit the floor next to the couch and picked up a handful and threw it at me, peppering me with it.

"Hey." I grabbed a handful and slid closer so I could get a better aim.

He was anticipating me and caught my arm and pinned it lightly against the cushion. He then brought his face close until we were almost nose to nose. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me, and my heart started pumping wildly. Suddenly I was showered with popcorn as he dumped his bowl on my head. I squealed and pulled away, sliding off the couch and landing on the floor.

"Jerk," I huffed.

"You started it." He helped me up while laughing.

"I threw one and missed. And _you _insulted my book," I defended myself.

"I didn't insult it. It's good…I'm just more a Stephen King guy." He held up his hands in surrender.

I seized the opportunity to throw my handful at him. Pathetically, it all missed. He looked at it and started laughing so hard, he wasn't making any sound. He clutched his stomach and gasped for air.

"I'm glad I could amuse you." I rolled my eyes and focused on the television.

"Sorry…I…" He struggled to contain himself. "I can't help it. I'll be good."

He reached over and brushed the popcorn from the top of my head, and I was hyperaware of his fingers combing through my hair. His eyes flickered to my lips, and he started to lean in but then suddenly stopped. He closed his eyes, then pulled away and focused on the television.

_What just happened?_ I blinked in confusion.

**A/N: Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with me. **

**Two contests coming up: **

**The first started by my beta and I'm one of the banner makers. It's batman/ Crime fighter themed. ****Details can be found here: fanfiction dot net /u/ 12410521 /Crime-Crusaders-Contest**

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.


	10. Chapter 9

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 9**

Edward and I stepped out of our rooms at the same time. Esme and Carlisle were out for the evening, so we were there alone. We were on our way to the races, and I was getting excited. Edward looked me up and down then frowned, making me look down at my khakis and blue top self-consciously. I thought I had picked out something nice, but not too dressy. I noticed he was wearing a pair of old jeans and a dark hoodie.

"Do you have anything older? We're going to a rundown area in a sketchy part of Port Angeles. You're not going want to stand out; some of the guys there can be seedy," Edward explained.

"Oh, right." His reasoning made complete sense.

What was I thinking? Street racing was illegal, so of course, it was probably held in the wrong part of town. The idea of being around a bunch of strangers made me nervous, and doubt started to creep in.

"We don't have to go if you're scared," he said. "If it helps, I promise not to leave your side."

"I'm not scared. I just don't think I have any old clothes with me," I said, not telling him the whole truth

He looked at me skeptically for a moment, probably trying to decide if I was being truthful. "Change into a pair of jeans, and I'll grab a hoodie for you." He went back into is room.

I followed his directions and changed quickly into the oldest pair I brought with me. I traded my shirt for an older one as well. I realized, while changing that I might need to go shopping soon if I was going to stay in the area. Soon the weather was going to get cooler, and my clothes were all perfect for Florida, not the Pacific Northwest.

Edward was leaning against the wall, waiting, and handed me a black hoodie. He let out a laugh when I pulled it on over my head, and it nearly came to my knees. The material smelled like a combination of cloves and Irish Spring soap.

"Not quite the fashion statement. If Alice were here, she'd have a fit." I pushed up the sleeves. "I just need to grab my keys."

"We should take my bike—less conspicuous," he said. "Your car would stick out like a flare. We wouldn't want anyone to try and race it or lift it."

I followed him out to the garage then waited until he moved the motorcycle out from the back corner. He then found a second helmet and placed it on my head with a thunk. I adjusted the strap and snapped it in place.

"Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?" he asked.

"Would you count a moped?" I wondered.

"No, it would be like comparing a golf cart to a car." He smirked. "Just hold on to me. You'll have to lean with me and don't fight against me, and we'll be fine."

He straddled the bike and kick-started it. The engine immediately roared to life, and he revved the engine. I felt a thrill of adrenaline rush through me. He patted the back of the seat and beckoned me. I climbed on and grabbed the side of his jacket.

"You're going to want to hold on to me tighter than that," he said, looking over his shoulder.

I wrapped my arms tighter, so I was hugging myself to him. I could feel his firm abs, and I was surprised how comfortable I was this close to him.

"Are you ready," he asked.

"Yes, you'll go slow, right?" I adjusted myself on the seat.

He smirked. "Sorry, this bike only has one speed."

Before I could respond, he sped off out of the garage and down the drive. I squealed and instinctively grabbed on to him tighter. The forest blurred by us, and I buried my face into his jacket so I could ignore the dizziness I was feeling. I felt him shake under me. I couldn't hear him over the engine, but I had a feeling he was laughing at me.

After a few minutes, I peeked to see if it was any better. I was relieved that the dizziness didn't return, and I rested my cheek against his back. I enjoyed the wind wiping around us and the hum between my legs.

The ride seemed all too short when Edward slowed and came to a stop. We were on the outskirts of town. All of the buildings looked abandoned, and the fire in the trash barrels emitted the only light. If I didn't know better, I would've thought I stumbled across a movie set. He turned in his seat and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not going to get sick, are you?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine," I answered.

I tried to get off the bike smoothly, but my foot caught on something, and I stumbled forward. Edward gracefully leaped off and managed to grab me by the elbow. He let out a loud laugh, and I felt my cheeks flame with embarrassment.

"Not my fault my shoelace caught on something." I pointed to the loose lace before bending to retie it.

"Having the girls kneeling before you already, Cullen?" a man asked before laughing at his own joke.

As I stood up, Edward immediately pulled me into his side and wrapped his arm around my waist. The guy standing before us had bloodshot eyes and reeked of weed.

"Felix, I wish I could say it was nice to see you," Edward said coolly.

Felix's laughter sounded like a braying donkey; he didn't seem offended at all. "Are you driving for Jay tonight?" he asked.

Edward's arm tensed slightly. "No, not tonight. I'm busy entertaining. Excuse us." He tried to lead us around him.

"I didn't catch her name." Felix stared at me. "You look familiar."

"That's because I didn't give it to you. Her name is Betty." He gave my waist a small squeeze.

"Betty, like the sexy cartoon character?" Felix wiggled his eyebrows at me.

Now I felt like I was going to be sick. "No, are you named after a cat?" I retorted.

"I'm allergic to cats." Felix looked confused then wandered off, and it looked like he was talking to a tree.

Huge nope! Felix dropped his pants and started to take a piss. I whirled around and wished I could erase what I just saw in my mind.

"Well, he's gone already." Edward chuckled. "By the way, I don't think you should introduce yourself with your real name. There will be guys here that have had run-ins with the law who won't like the idea of Chief Swan's daughter hanging around."

"Okay," I agreed, then headed for the crowd. "Let's go get a better view."

"Hold on." He crooked one finger to me, then tapped the helmet lightly on the top. "I doubt you'll want to wear this around."

I sheepishly unbuckled and removed it, watching as he stowed them both away safely. After that, he turned back and pulled the hood of my sweatshirt up and over my head. He then did the same to his. When we were finished, he took my hand and led me to what appeared to be the racetrack. He weaved us in and out until coming to a stop by an old truck covered in dried mud. A man was sitting on the gate, smoking a cigarette with a cowboy hat pushed down over his eyes. He jumped down when we approached and bumped fists with Edward. He glanced at me briefly then back at Edward with a raised eyebrow.

"She's cool," Edward said.

He nodded then leaned on the edge of the gate. "Driving?" he asked, in a clipped voice.

"Not tonight. I'm just getting off my father's shit list. I'm going to lay low for a while." Edward leaned next to him. He glanced around, then gently pulled me in-between them.

"Bella, this is Jasper. Jasper…Bella." I glanced at him quickly because he was contradicting himself from five minutes earlier.

Sensing my confusion, he nodded. "I trust Jasper and you can too."

"Explain," Jasper asked.

"I told her not to give out her real name. I told Felix her name was Betty," Edward answered.

Jasper gave a curt nod. He was clearly not a man of many words.

I was distracted by the revving of two cars several yards away. A red and a yellow car were parked side by side, and the crowd started to cheer as a girl wearing a tank top and short skirt teetered out on her sky-high heels. She raised her hands up into the air, holding a green flag. The crowd roared louder as she waved, and then let go of the flag. The cars raced past her and were neck and neck when suddenly the red one swerved to the left and bumped the yellow. The yellow veered off-track, and the crowd moved quickly out of its way. The yellow car turned sharply back on and started to tailgate the red, hitting the bumper, before trying to pass. The red car hit the yellow again, but this time the yellow was prepared and hit the red one back. I saw some sparks, but they kept going until all we could see were specks of taillights. They came to a stop a few moments later when the brake lights blinked. A flare went off on the right side of the track.

"Red won. Embry is going to be pissed with how dirty Paul played," Edward commented.

"So bumping is illegal?" I asked.

"Nothing about this is legal." Edward chuckled.

"You know what I meant." I huffed.

"Bumping is considered a cheap shot but not against the rules," Edward explained.

Two new cars came up to the starting line, a blue one and the other was white. Before the race could start, a short boy came up to us. He appeared younger than us and had squirrely eyes.

"Jay wants you to drive next," he stated.

"I'll pass." Edward shook his head, grounding out his cigarette.

"He has ten G's riding on the next race, and he wants you to drive. Besides, don't you want a rematch with Jacob?" The guy looked at me, and I shivered. "If I go back and tell him no, he'll just come over himself."

"Fine. Stay with Jasper," he told me. "Jazz, watch out for her for me?"

"Yup," he agreed.

"Wait, what about…" But he already disappeared into the crowd. "Never mind."

I slid back into the truck, so I could pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around me. Jasper glanced back at me briefly with a stoic expression.

"So, you're Emmett's sister," he said quietly.

"I have a name. And so, you can say more than one word at a time?" I shot back.

He smirked and lit up a second cigarette. "I can, but most people talk too much, about nothing."

"I know a few. I take it you're not a fan of Emmett's either?" I asked.

"Nope. It's starting." He gestured to the track, and the same girl as before walked out to the middle.

This time everything went smoothly as the two cars raced each other down the strip. Neither one tried to hit the other. At the end, the flare went off on the left. I looked back at the starting line as two new cars pulled up, a black one, the other a dark green.

"Is one of them Edward?" I asked.

"Green car." Jasper nodded.

Once the cars took off, I stood in the back of the truck so I could get a better view. Edward was neck and neck with Jacob. Suddenly, the black swerved to hit Edward, and my breath caught. Edward slammed on the brakes and turned hard to the right as the black car skidded off the course. Edward floored it and was far down the track before the other even got back on the course. No matter how hard it tried to catch up, Edward had won by at least a few yards.

"He won," I cheered and clapped for him.

"Sweet." Jasper actually smiled. "Jacob is a dick."

I jumped down from the bed and started to head for the cars. Jasper grabbed my arm and shook his head, stopping me. I paused and gave him an annoyed look.

"I just want to go congratulate him," I said.

"He'll be back in a moment. He told you to stay with me," he reminded me.

"Right, sorry. I just got excited for a moment there," I said.

I waited patiently beside the truck. I soon saw Edward slip through the crowd. Along the way he got pats on the back, and a few girls flung their arms around his neck. One redhead tried to kiss him, but he politely disentangled himself from her and continued to us. I couldn't miss the smile on his face.

"Nice." Jasper gave him a fist bump.

"Congratulations." I gave him a hug.

Unlike the other girls, he gave me a small one back and pulled me to him, keeping his arm around my waist.

"Thanks, I forgot how much I missed this," he said, looking happy.

I caught the eye of the redhead, and she scowled and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She glared at me before turning and stalking off.

"How many more races are there?" I asked as two more cars started down the track.

"This one, and then the winners from race one and two race again. I'll race whoever wins this one. Then I'll race the one that wins the first heat," he explained.

"You're that confident you'll win, are you?" I hipped bumped him.

"These two jokers are amateurs." Edward shrugged.

No sooner than he spoke, there was a loud crash. The cars on the track collided, and smoke and fire erupted.

"Shit," Jasper cursed and put out his cigarette.

"We've got to help them." I headed for the track.

"We _need _to get out of here before the police and fire trucks arrive. It won't be good for either of us to be found here." Edward started pulling me through the panicked crowd.

"But…" I protested.

"There are people to help them," Edward promised.

I glanced over my shoulder at the crash. I could make out that both the drivers were on the ground away from the vehicles, and there were others trying to put out the fire. Feeling better about the situation, I hurried to keep up with Edward. Jasper passed us in his truck as we reached Edward's bike. He kicked started it, and as soon as I had the helmet on and my arms around him, he took off.

"Hold on to me as tight as you can, it's going to be a bumpy ride," he hollered over his shoulder.

He took off and weaved in and out of all the other cars that were trying to leave at the same time. Where it looked like there was a jam, Edward simply drove around it. We were near the mouth of the road when we heard sirens, and Edward slowed down and pulled off to the side, under the branches of a tree and cut the lights and motor. Seconds later, emergency vehicles passed by us.

My chest heaved up and down as I caught my breath. Edward looked over his shoulder at me in concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yes. I'm good," I promised.

"Let's get home." He started the bike again and pulled back on to the highway.

We were less than a mile from his house when the sky opened up, and it started to rain. Edward had no choice but to slow down. By the time we reached the garage, we were both drenched.

Edward parked the bike, and we both got off. I removed the sweatshirt because it felt heavy and was dragging me down. The rain soaked through to my shirt, and it clung to me like a second skin. Edward shed both his top layers and tossed them to the side. Although he wasn't very athletic, his abs were well-defined.

"Are you sure you're okay? The night doesn't always end like that, only when the drivers are acting like idiots," he asked.

"I'm just cold." I shivered and started to rub my arms.

"Unfortunately, we'll have to make a run for it." He glanced out the window, and it started to downpour. "Or maybe we can hang out for a minute or two to see if it gets lighter. I think we have a space heater around here."

He searched for a few minutes but came up empty-handed. He gave an apologetic look and scratched his head. He found an old blanket in the back of his mom's car and wrapped it around me. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms.

"Sorry. When we go in, I know we have hot chocolate, tea, and coffee, I can make," he apologized.

"It's not your fault, don't apologize," I told him.

He stared into my eyes and then leaned closer. I tilted my head up and wondered if he was going to pull away again. This time he didn't. His lips brushed against mine lightly then again with a little more force. My hands slid up his smooth chest and wrapped around his neck as I returned the kiss. I parted my lips, and his tongue slid into my mouth.

I was hyperaware of every part of his body that was touching mine. However, I still jumped when his hand covered my breast. I pulled back, breaking the kiss and putting some space between us.

"I'm sorry. You're moving too fast for me," I apologized.

The look on Edward's face was unreadable, but he turned and ran out of the garage, leaving me behind.

"Real smooth, Bella. A cute guy kisses you, and you freak out," I scolded myself.

Not wanting to be left in the garage anymore, I headed for the house myself and went into the kitchen. The room was empty, and the house was quiet. I wondered if I screwed up a potentially good chance and if things would now be awkward.

**A/N: Thoughts? Many of you have been asking when you'll find out about what happened between Emmett and Edward, it's in the next chapter. Several of you have been pretty close to what happened. **

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts and love with me.**

**Two contests coming up: **

**The first started by my beta and I'm one of the banner makers. It's batman/ Crime fighter themed. ****Details can be found here: fanfiction dot net /u/ 12410521 /Crime-Crusaders-Contest**

**The second a contest one of prereaders is secret keeper for. Details at fanfiction dot net /u/ 12439505/ BotheredContest**


	11. Chapter 10

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 10 **

I woke up on Sunday morning with a splitting headache and my nose stuffed up. I took a deep breath and started coughing. My chest hurt, and all I wanted to do was to roll over and go back to sleep. There's was a light knock on the door.

"Come in," I called, sitting up in bed.

The door opened, and Esme poked her head in. "I heard you coughing, dear. Are coming down with something?"

"I think so." My throat felt scratchy.

She came over and rested the back of her hand on my forehead and looked into my eyes. "You definitely have a fever, and you should stay in bed. I'll go get Carlisle to check on you. Are you hungry?"

"No, not at the moment." I turned my head to cough.

"How about some tea or broth?" she offered.

"Tea will be good," I agreed.

"I'll be back in a moment." She gave me a small smile.

Carlisle appeared before her with a small doctor's bag. He knocked on the door frame and waited for me to respond.

"I hear you're feeling under the weather. Would you like me to do a quick exam? I can wait until Esme gets back." He stepped into the room.

"I trust you, but I'm sure it just a cold," I said.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to check since you've been in and out of the hospital. I'm afraid you won't be allowed in the I.C.U. until I clear you." He took out a thermometer and stuck a plastic sleeve on it then held it out for me to place under my tongue

I nodded my head. Meanwhile, he listened to my chest and checked my pulse. He retrieved the thermometer and looked at it.

"A slight fever, but your lungs are clear. I would like to take a look at your throat." He pulled out a small light. "A little red, but I think you're right, it's either a cold or a virus."

"Rest and fluids are the best medicines," he said.

"Will you keep me abreast with what's going on with Emmett?" I asked.

"Of course," he promised.

I spent the next three days resting, writing, and watching DVDs. Esme was sweet enough to bring my meals, insisting it was no trouble at all. Late on the second day, my fever broke, but Carlisle told me to rest another day before showing up at the hospital. To my disappointment, I hadn't heard or seen Edward since he ran out on me in the garage.

**S**

Wednesday morning, I went back to the hospital and spent the morning typing in Emmett's room. Sometime in the late afternoon, Charlie made an appearance, dressed in his uniform. He frowned when he saw me sitting there.

"So you're still here; I thought you went back to Florida," he greeted me.

"I was sick for the last few days. Carlisle told me I needed to stay away until I was better," I told him.

"How's your brother been today? What's the latest scan results? Have they scheduled any more surgeries?" he asked me.

"Stable. They haven't done a scan since yesterday since there's been no visible change and the swelling has stopped. As far as I know, they aren't planning on any more operations. And I'm fine, thank you, it was nothing serious." I felt a flare of irritation.

"Bella, this isn't the time for your pettiness. What's going on with your brother is very serious," he scolded me.

"I'm very well aware of how serious Emmett's condition is. The question is, are you?" I stood up from my chair to face him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"That you seem to be rushing Emmett's recovery to get him back out on the field. Even ignoring the doctor's warnings that he might not be able to play for a long while…if ever," I said.

"Bite your tongue," he ordered. "Don't you care at all for your brother?"

"Of course, I care. That's why I'm trying to protect him," I said.

"From who? Me?" Dad scoffed.

"Yes. Seriously, Dad, are you trying to live vicariously through him? I'm worried you're going to push him too hard," I accused.

"Of course not. You sound like your mother." He pointed his finger at me in anger, and I flinched. "I've never pushed Emmett into doing anything he didn't want to do. This is just your jealousy coming through."

"I'm not jealous," I stated with conviction.

"You've never forgiven me for not getting your ice cream that day. You ran off with your mother and never came home," he said.

"I went with Mom because I was tired of being ignored. Never once have you ever given me a tenth of the thought you've given Emmett. I invited you to countless events over the years…you missed my book release, which was a huge deal to me. And my graduation. You both promised to be there and canceled at the last minute. You were supposed to be there," I argued.

"We explained; Emmett had a game that was…"

I lost my temper and exploded with all the pent-up emotions I'd held back over the years. "He always has a fucking game or match…whatever the fuck it's called for the sport of the season it was. You can't tell me he couldn't afford to miss one. He's the town golden boy, they weren't going to kick him off the team, they needed him. But why couldn't it be my turn for once! Just once! You were both supposed to be there. You had promised…if you were there that day, then Mom would still be alive, and I wouldn't have been almost raped!" I yelled.

My eyes widened in alarm as realize I'd said much more than I ever meant too. Dad froze in shock and for once, was speechless. Before either one of us could speak, the alarms from one of Emmett's machines went off. The room immediately flooded with staff, and I heard over the noise that Emmett's heart rate was spiking.

In all the confusion, I fled the room and headed for the back stairway. I went down about a half-a-flight before sinking down onto the step. The tears started to flow, and I clenched my eyes shut. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm myself before I went to see if Emmett was okay.

I couldn't believe I just unleashed on Charlie like that. After years of therapy and trying to take the high road, I just shattered it in the matter of seconds. I knew what happened that night wasn't Emmett or Charlie's didn't even know what happened to me because it was never reported. But there had always been a thought in the back of my head if they were there, that maybe we wouldn't be victims. Charlie was a police chief and he always kept a gun on him on duty or not. And who would ever had been stupid enough to try and fight Emmett.

I felt a hand on my arm on my arm, and I jumped in alarm, causing my head to slam into the concrete wall. I opened eyes to see Edward sitting across from me on the steps with his hands up in surrender.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I called your name, but you seemed zoned out. Is your head okay, it looked like you hit it pretty hard?" He reached out to examine it but stopped.

"I'm fine…I think." I touched the sore spot, looking for blood.

"We are in the right place if you need to get it checked out." He seemed concerned.

"What are you even doing here? The last time I saw you, you were running away from me like I was a leper or something." I was still confused and hurt by his actions. He had been a nice guy one minute, only to be an asshole the next for not getting his way.

He gave me a guilty look. "I was a complete douche that night. I took advantage of you and practically mauled you. I figured you wouldn't want to see me, so I decided to stay out of your way."

"Oh…I thought you were upset I wasn't willing. I wasn't mad at you, well not until you ran off like a jerk. The kiss was nice, but then things started to escalate before I was ready," I explained.

"Please, stop, you don't need to explain yourself. After hearing you were attacked that night, I can't say I blame you at all." Edward gave me a sympathetic look.

"Oh, God, you heard me?" I felt my cheeks heat in embarrassment.

"I hate to tell you, but I'm pretty sure the whole wing heard, especially the last part that you screamed at Chief Swan. I have no idea what led up to it though," he said.

"Just wonderful…he's going to hate how I embarrassed him by calling him out like that." I rubbed my temple with my hand.

"Good," Edward stated bluntly. "It's about time someone did."

"But it's unfair to blame him when I know, realistically, it wasn't his fault. He couldn't have foreseen anyone breaking in that night." I shook my head.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to hear it. He's been a shitty-ass father to you and needed to hear it," Edward said, making me feel a bit better.

"I should go back, but I really don't want to show my face right now." I groaned.

"So don't." Edward shrugged.

"My things are still in there; I can't leave without them." I started to get up, but Edward stopped me.

"I'll go get them; I can sneak in undetected," Edward suggested then took the steps two at a time before I could answer.

He was gone for longer than I thought he would before he came back with my laptop and purse. He handed me my stuff without uttering another word.

"Thanks. Do you know if Emmett is okay?" I slung my bags over one shoulder.

"They were able to stabilize him and sent him for another head scan. I told my father you were leaving for the day, and he agreed it would be for the best. He'll call you if there are any changes," Edward said.

"He thinks it's my fault for what happened, doesn't he?" I realized that Emmett must have heard me yelling at Charlie.

"He never said that. He was concerned about how you were doing." Edward responded stoically. "Look, I think it's time you went home."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere else." I was confused.

"No, I mean back to Florida," Edward said pointedly with a blank expression.

"Florida? But Emmett's not out of the woods yet. When he wakes up, he's going to need me," I told him, crossing my arms in front of me.

"This is for your own good, Bella. You'll never be happy here. Emmett will be fine without you. He'll only end up using you like he uses everyone else." Edward's face was cold.

"What did he do?" I asked.

Edward shook his head in refusal. "I told you, I don't want to talk about it. Ask Emmett when he wakes up."

"You know my darkest secret; I think it's only fair. Did he bully you?" I asked.

Edward's expression darkened. "No. What he did was much worse. Years ago, not long after I stole that candy bar, Emmett wanted to be friends. I was wary at first, but then I was excited to have a _friend_ that didn't beat me up all the time." Edward used air quotes around friend. "Turns out, I was better off with James … at least he was honest with me. One day, I overheard Emmett with Mike and Tyler. They were asking him why he was hanging out with a pathetic nerd like me. He told them he was just pretending to be my friend because your father was making him."

"Edward, I'm sorry. That was my fault; I told my father about James. I didn't want to see you get hurt again. I also didn't think it was fair you were being punished for something you were forced to do. I didn't know Charlie would _force_ Emmett to be your friend." I felt guilty.

"I don't blame you. You have a good heart. Which is why you need to leave before you get hurt even more. There's more, about two years ago he tried to apologize, said he was young and stupid, and he was sorry. He then wanted me to help him with his schoolwork. At first, I thought he wanted me to tutor him, and I was willing to accept, but only if he paid me. But I quickly learned it was more than that—Emmett can't even read. He wanted me to do all his assignments," Edward said angrily.

"Wait, how can he not know how to read?" I questioned incredulously.

"You don't believe me?" he scoffed.

"On the contrary, it makes other things make sense…" I muttered. "But how can he be passed on to the next grade every year?"

"He's the star athlete, teachers look the other way. Plus, he's gotten someone to do the work for him. Before me, I suspect it was Yorkie, since he's a pushover, and now, I'm willing to bet it's Rose since I refused. I believe he is using her to get the work done, and she fell under his spell like the rest of them. However, I doubt he cares for her," Edward said.

"That's horrible. She seems to genuinely care for him." I felt sick.

"Bella." He reached out and touched my hand. "Go home, back to your life, where you were happy."

I stared into his eyes and contemplated what Edward told me.

If I stayed, he was probably right; I would have to put Emmett first— possibly sending myself back into the shadows. I knew I couldn't let that happen.

**A/N: A few revelations this chapter. One I know a few of you have been waiting for. To recap, Emmett wasn't bullying Edward. However, he feels a fake friend who really thinks he's pathetic is worse than that. Then having Emmett apologize only to get Edward his homework was the final nail in the coffin. **

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.**

**Also another thank you to adifferentforest dot net for have posting my story as ficdive. It's currently up for ficdive of the year along with several other great stories. **


	12. Chapter 11

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 11**

I didn't sleep at all. I spent the night going back and forth in my head after Edward's confrontation. Most of what he said seemed very plausible. I tried to remember if I ever saw Emmett reading, and I couldn't recall one time I had. Every time we went to a restaurant, he would either order a steak or a burger … he would barely glance at the menu. His texts were always misspelled, or it was clear autocorrect had a hand in them. It would also explain the expression on Rose's face when I asked if Emmett read my book.

I reasoned it could very well be that Edward was exaggerating because of his animosity towards Emmett. However, maybe I just didn't want to believe Emmett was capable of something so corrupt.

What it didn't explain were all the articles on his bulletin board. Why would they be there if he couldn't read? And how could the school fail him that way? They just kept passing him rather than making sure he received the help he needed. I clearly had missing puzzle pieces, but hopefully, someone I trusted would have some answers

It was early in the morning when I called Phil. He answered on the first ring, and I could tell he had me on speaker phone since he was on his way to the office.

"Did you have another nightmare?" he asked, seeming concerned.

"No, I just wanted to catch you on your way to work," I said.

"Isn't it four-thirty where you are?" He chuckled then cleared his throat, getting more serious. "Is everything okay?"

"I screamed at Charlie yesterday. I kinda told him it was his fault Mom was dead, and I was almost raped," I confessed.

"I see. I'm surprised I didn't get an irate phone call, demanding to know why he wasn't told what happened to you," Phil said seriously.

"I haven't seen him since. I know it was wrong and childish to blame him." I sighed.

"You're human, and I'm sure he pushed your buttons to get you to react that way. Do you want to tell me what led up to your outburst?"

"We got into an argument; he accused me of being selfish and not caring about Emmett. I confronted him about trying to rush Emmett's recovery and then pointed out the reality that he might not ever play sports again. I also asked him if he was trying to live through Em," I told him.

He let out a low whistle. "I didn't realize Emmett's condition was that bad."

"Nothing is for certain yet. We really won't know until he wakes up. I have to ask you something … are you aware that Emmett can't read?" I asked.

"Who told you that?" he asked.

I frowned; that answer wasn't a _no_. "Edward. He finally told me why he doesn't like Emmett, and one of the reasons was Emmett tried to get him to do his schoolwork for him."

"I think it's more complicated than Emmett's reading ability. Your mother suspected Emmett had a learning disability, and he may possibly be dyslexic," he explained.

"Why was he never tested? There are ways to help him if it's true. How is it I don't know this about my own brother?" I pressed my fingers to my forehead and massaged my temple.

"It's no different than you wanting to keep what happened to you to yourself. Besides, we never got confirmation. Emmett was never tested. He and Charlie denied there was a problem. Unfortunately, we had no proof, since Emmett had decent grades, so Renée couldn't force the issue," he explained.

"I'm starting to feel like I walked into a hornet's nest. I think Edward is right; it's time for me to come home," I said out loud.

"Just say when, and I'll send the firm's jet for you and take care of everything else," Phil promised, bring a smile to my face.

"How about later tonight or first thing tomorrow morning, whichever is easiest." I wanted to visit Emmett one more time.

"Okay, I'll call you back by noon today with a time," he told me.

"Thank you, Phil," I said.

"No thanks necessary. I've missed someone reining in Alice from her shopping," he joked.

**S**

Cora glanced up when I got off the elevator. The sympathetic look on her face told me she overheard everything that was said during the outburst.

"Good morning. Is it okay for me to visit Emmett today," I asked.

"Of course, Dr. Cullen has put an order for only one visitor at a time right now," she said cautiously.

I nodded, realizing it was probably due to what happened yesterday. "I'll leave when my dad gets here," I promised. I wasn't ready to see him anyway.

Cora gave me a strange look and nodded. "Dr. Cullen wanted to talk with you when you got here, so I'm going to let him know you've arrived."

When I entered Emmett's room, everything looked the same, but at the same time, something felt different. I walked over to the bed and took his hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"Hey, little brother, how are you today?" I asked, as I set his hand on the bed and rested mine next to him.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I don't blame you for what happened that night, it was unfair to do so, I was just angry at Dad," I confessed.

I felt something brush against my fingers and looked down. Emmett's fingers were closer to mine than before—I knew I hadn't moved. I glanced quickly at his face and gasped when I saw a copy of my own brown eyes staring back at me.

"Emmett, you're awake," I said in surprise then reached for the call button.

"Yes?" Cora answered.

"Emmett is awake," I declared.

"I'll page Dr. Cullen immediately. Keep him calm, okay?"

"Of course." I placed the control pad down and turned back to Emmett.

His eyes were closed again, and everything appeared like it was when I got here. I looked at him in confusion, starting to doubt what I saw. I picked up his hand and squeezed it again.

"Em, can you hear me?" I asked. After waiting a few moments and nothing happening, I sighed in disappointment.

Dr. Cullen came into the room with Sue right behind him. "I heard we have some good news?"

"I don't know what happened. I swear his eyes were open a moment ago and his hand moved," I explained.

"I believe you. Can you let Sue and me examine him; you can stay in the room," he asked. I took a step back and watched them work.

"His heart rate increased, and there was a small spike a few minutes ago," Sue said, looking at the monitor.

"His pupils are both back to normal," Dr. Cullen muttered then spoke up. "Emmett, can you hear me?"

"Hmm…did you see movement?" he asked Sue.

"A small twitch to the left eye," Sue answered.

"That's what I thought I saw too," Carlisle nodded in agreement before moving to the end of the bed.

He ran the edge of his reflex hammer along the edge of Emmett's foot. His toes twitched, and Dr. Cullen smiled.

"Good…good. We can rule out there being paralysis," he commented.

"But he's still in a coma?" I asked.

"I do believe Emmett is waking up. It is not like the movies, so he's not going to open his eyes and start chatting away like nothing happened. He can still be in and out for a couple of days, sleeping it off. However, all these are good signs that he's coming out of the woods," Dr. Cullen explained.

"Can you do me a favor, I would like to try something? I would like you to ask Emmett to squeeze your hand and to open his eyes," he asked.

I returned to Emmett side and took his hand in mine. "Hey, little brother, time to open your eyes," I commanded.

"Little brother." Carlisle chuckled.

"Yes, I was born first. It was the only time I was bigger than him. It's a running joke between us," I explained, disappointed his eyes didn't open. "Hey, Em, quit being lazy and squeeze my hand."

I was about to give up when I felt a small squeeze. "He did it." I glanced at the doctor.

"Good." He nodded. "Let's try something more. Ask him a question and ask him to squeeze your hand once for _yes_ and twice for _no_."

"Emmett, do you know where you are? Squeeze my hand once for _yes_ and twice for_ no_." I asked.

There was no response.

"Do the Mariners play football?" I tried a different question.

Still nothing.

I shook my head and glanced at Carlisle to see what he thought. He nodded his head thoughtfully and went to the computer.

"Nothing to worry about yet. I'm pleased with the improvement. Let's get a scan since his last one was yesterday. Sue, can you get Garrett and have him help you transport Emmett? I need to speak with Bella in my office for a moment," he asked.

"Yes, doctor," Sue agreed.

"Bella, if you could join me?" He gestured to the hallway.

We went down the hall and into a room across from the breakroom. Carlisle's office was barely big enough for his desk, another chair, and a bookcase.

"Sorry for the tight quarters." He took his seat opposite mine. "I needed to talk to you about yesterday."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause a scene or get Emmett upset like that," I apologized quickly.

"This isn't about that. However, I have to say you gave your father quite a shock. Is it true he didn't know about your assault?" he asked cautiously.

"No. The guy killed himself, so there was no sense in reporting what almost happened. I never told my father because I was afraid he would either use it to make me live with him or worse… find out he didn't care at all," I explained, looking down.

"I see…" Carlisle said slowly. "I have something to share with you, and there is no easy way to say it, so I'll come out and tell you. Charlie has decided it would be best if he took a step back and got some help."

"I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at." I became confused.

"Well" —Carlisle steepled his fingers—"I think hearing you say you were almost raped and then accusing him of doing more harm than good with Emmett hit him hard. He thinks he's not the best person to make decisions for either of you at the moment. He went to seek some help at a treatment center."

I blinked my eyes furiously. "What about Emmett? He's still in the hospital."

"Charlie decided you'd be better at making the right decisions for your brother. So he has given you temporary guardianship," he told me.

I sat there looking at him as if he had just spoken to me in Pig Latin. "Are you telling me that Ch…Dad has given up on Emmett?" I started to get upset.

"No…on the contrary. He thinks you may have had a point and maybe his mind is too clouded to do what's best. He knows you'll look out for him," Carlisle explained.

"Wow…this is a lot." I placed both hands on my forehead and ran my fingers through my hair.

"It is a tremendous responsibility, but I think you can handle it. However, I don't foresee any difficult decisions coming up in the near future." He gave me an appraising look.

"Thank you." I sighed in defeat. "I guess I'm not going home."

Carlisle's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "I didn't realize you were going back to Florida. We can communicate by phone if necessary."

I started to nod, but there was something gnawing in the back of my mind. I knew what it was like to wake up in the hospital and not have anyone there. I wouldn't wish that on anyone else.

"I'll stay at least until he wakes up or Charlie comes back," I told him.

"Please, don't feel like you have to," Carlisle said kindly.

"I know I don't. But I would hate for Emmett to wake up and not see any of his family here for him," I said decidedly.

"I wish more kids your age could show your level of maturity." Carlisle smiled at me. "I'll go see how his scan is doing, I'm predicting good things."

We stepped out of his office together, and I pulled my phone out, knowing I would have to make another call to Phil.

"Is it okay if I use my phone in the break room quickly," I asked.

"Go right ahead. I'll meet up with you in your brother's room when I have the results," he said before walking off at a fast stride toward the elevators.

**A/N: I'm interested to hear what you think about Charlie leaving. There are people on either side of the issue if Bella should stay or not. I wanted to give her a reason that wasn't Edward since it was too early for her to be thinking like that. She is doing what she feels is the right thing. I know I'm going to get the question, why wasn't anyone at the hospital(Alice + Phil), it will be answered next chapter. **

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.**

**In other News:**

**My prereader and friend, April, just released the 2****nd**** book in her series called Ace. It's available on Amazon. Her penname is Faye Byrd.**

**The Twilight Crime Crusaders contest are excepting entries to the July 15****th****. Three are already posted check them out. **

**The Bothered contest starts receiving entries Aug. 15****th****.**


	13. Chapter 12

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 12**

I stayed at the hospital as late as I could, hoping Emmett would wake up again. Unfortunately, he didn't open his eyes again. I caught a twitch here and there but nothing like before.

When I got to the house, Edward had his back to me washing dishes, and Esme was writing on a note pad. She glanced up when I entered, dragging my suitcase behind me.

"Good evening, dear, I'm making a list for the market. Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"I'm fine, but thank you for the offer," I said.

Edward spun around with a dish still wet in his hands. He looked surprised and not exactly happy to see me. I could only assume he was thinking I was getting sucked back into helping Emmett.

"Edward, sweetie, you're dripping all over the floor," Esme said pointedly.

"Sorry," he apologized and turned back to the sink.

"Bella, I saved you a plate for dinner; it's in the fridge if you're hungry. Would you like me to heat it up for you?' she offered.

"I can do it. Thank you for thinking of me and taking me back for a bit longer," I said, rolling my suitcase until it was in a spot that would be out of the way.

"It's no trouble at all. How is your brother? Did he regain consciousness?" she asked.

"No, not since the one time this morning. Carlisle is convinced he'll be more and more alert over the next few days," I told her.

"That's wonderful news." Esme smiled encouragingly.

"Can you tell me where the closest mall or shopping area is? I need to get some warmer clothes," I asked.

"I think the closest mall is in Seattle. However, there are a few good stores in Port Angeles and Sequim," she responded thoughtfully.

"Port Angeles will be great; so I won't have to go that far," I agreed.

"I'll take you on Saturday," Edward stated.

"That would be wonderful, and I can sit with Emmett if you'd like. I know you don't want him to wake up alone," Esme offered before I could refuse Edward's invitation.

"Why can't…" Edward looked annoyed.

"That would be very nice of you, Esme," I interrupted him.

"It's settled then. I'm going to go read for a bit before turning in. Let me know if you need anything." She rose, leaving her notepad on the table.

I went to the fridge and pulled out the plate Esme left me. It looked like a stir-fry with chicken and vegetables. I took off the cover, then placed in the microwave.

"I will be fine shopping by myself on Saturday. I don't want to take you away from the plans you already have. I'm sure you have better things to do than wait for me while I try on clothes," I commented to Edward.

"I don't mind. Plus, someone needs to tell you if you look fat in the clothes you pick out," he said with a smirk as he tossed the dishcloth into the sink.

My mouth dropped open in shock, as his shoulders shook with laughter. I stuck out my tongue at him and tossed the ball of clear wrap at him—it landed several feet away.

"Perhaps, you should try not aiming at me, maybe then, you'll actually hit me," he teased.

"Jerk," I muttered. "Just for that, you have to hold my purse for me."

He chuckled, not looking threatened at all. "Oooh, that will teach me."

"Seriously, please don't feel like you have to," I said.

"I have to go to Port Angeles anyway, so it's no big deal," Edward said seriously.

"Oh…are you racing again?" I whispered.

He looked to the doorway, then shook his head. "No, I have a few things I need to get for school. Anyway, I thought you were leaving?"

"I was…then things got complicated, and I need to stick around for who knows how long." I sighed, taking my food out and going to the table.

"How did things get complicated? I thought Emmett was doing better?" Edward frowned, turning a chair around so he could sit backwards.

"He is. However, Charlie left, and I don't know for how long. In his absence, I've been made temporary guardian of my twin," I explained.

"Chief Swan just abandoned the both of you?" Edward questioned incredulously.

"According to your father, he left to get help. Apparently, what I said affected him enough to see he wasn't going about things the right way concerning Emmett and wanted to get better," I shrugged.

"Sounds not only like a selfish move, but also, too little too late. I hope you don't fall for it," he said curtly.

"I'm not falling for anything." I stabbed at my chicken hard.

"I could leave if I want. However, I know what it's like to wake up in the hospital having no one there. I want to be there for my brother; he's going to have a rough road ahead," I stated.

"Have you considered maybe karma is catching up to him." Edward shrugged.

I placed my fork down. "Look, I get you hate my brother and will never understand why I am doing what I feel is right. I made my decision not only for him but for me as well. I don't want to be the person that turns their back on family when they need me. Regardless, what happened in the past. I know Alice and probably you disagree with me that Emmett could change and perhaps that this can be a new start."

Edward was silent for a moment. "You're a better person than me. Where were Alice and her father when you woke up alone in the hospital? The way you talk about them, I figured they would be there."

"Jacksonville is bigger than Forks, it's not one of those towns where everyone knows everyone. No one knew who to call while I was unconscious. Not that they would've been allowed to anyway, since, technically they weren't family," I answered him.

"I still think you're making a mistake," Edward commented, this time without animosity.

"It's mine to make," I stated.

I was tired of arguing with him about it, especially since I still had Alice to deal with. I brought my plate to the sink, having lost my appetite. When I turned around, he was right behind me. He reached for my hand and held it lightly.

"I just don't want to see you hurt," he said with sincerity, melting my irritation.

"I appreciate that." I smiled at him, then reached up to kiss his cheek.

I pulled back, half-expecting that he would run like before. Instead, he cupped my cheek and pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was soft and gentle, and he didn't take it any further. My phone rang, breaking us apart, a glance at the screen showed me it was Alice.

"It's Alice, I need to get this," I said softly.

"Good luck." Edward gave me a gentle smile before leaving the kitchen.

**S**

I had grown so used to the beeps in Emmett's room and could now tune them out when I wanted to write. I was making good progress on my story, and by the end of the week, I planned on sending the chapters I had ready to my editor.

My call last night with Alice went as expected. She tried to hide how upset she was with the situation and still stay supportive. She asked if I would be home in time for my birthday, and I didn't know what to tell her. She cursed Charlie out a few times and made me promise I would do something fun that day.

After speaking with her, I texted Rose to let her know what was going on with Emmett. I was torn about letting her in to see him. Since I had the power, nothing was stopping me from lifting the ban. However, if Edward was telling me the truth and Emmett was using her, I didn't think it was fair to her, to let her sit at his side and be used like that.

I grabbed my soda to take a sip, breaking out of my writing trance. There was a distinctive change in the monitor beeps, and I glanced toward Emmett. His eyes were wide opened, and he was trying to grab at the intubation tube.

I jumped up and placed my hand over his. "Stop, Em. You need to relax and wait for Dr. Cullen."

He looked at me with a bit of relief and nodded slightly. Just as I reached for the call button, Dr. Cullen came into the room with Sue on his heels.

"Looks like you're finally awake." Dr. Cullen grinned.

Emmett nodded and pointed to the tube.

"I can remove it; I don't think you need it anymore. I'll remove the I.V. after you start eating again." Dr. Cullen moved to his side.

"Do you want to leave the heart monitor on?" Sue asked, taking my spot by Emmett.

Dr. Cullen hesitated for a moment. "For a little bit longer." He raised Emmett's bed, so he was sitting a bit higher. "Emmett, when I say, I'm going to need you to cough for me. Bella, could you get him some water and ice chips; you can use the kitchenette at the nurses station."

I made the trip quickly, and by the time I made it back, the tube was out. Sue took the cup, stuck a straw in it, and held it out for Emmett to take a sip. Emmett winced and rubbed his throat

"Slow sips for now. I'm afraid it will be sore for a while. Can you tell me your full name?" Carlisle asked.

"Emmett Dale Swan," he coughed.

"And this young lady?" Carlisle indicated to me.

"Belly Boo." He managed a smirk.

"I can see you didn't lose your sense of humor." I rolled my eyes.

Carlisle suppressed his grin. "Do you remember what happened?"

Emmett looked confused. "I was driving home after the game, 'cause Dad had a couple of beers, and it was late. There was a deer, and I swerved and went off the road. That's it." His voice was rough, and he paused a few times.

"I want you to remember three words; touchdown, cat, and spoon. I'll ask you for them later. But now, I'm sure you're very interested in hearing about your injuries, so would you like me to explain the extent of them?"

Emmett nodded eagerly, and Sue excused herself, while Carlisle proceeded to tell him everything they knew. The ACL in his right knee was the least of his two major injuries. Luckily it was only a slight tear and could easily be repaired. The rotator cuff in his right shoulder, his throwing arm, had the most damage.

"Will I be able to play sports again?" Emmett looked concerned.

Carlisle hesitated "Sports Medicine isn't my expertise. There is a chance you can recover from these injuries; however, it will require a lot of hard work and patience. If you try to push yourself too fast too soon, you'll risk doing more damage than help. Even then, I can't promise you'll ever be at the level you were before. Football this season is more than likely out."

"I'm no stranger to hard work, Doc. I've always beaten the odds before. When can I start rehab?" he asked.

"Emmett weren't you listening to a word he said. You can't rush this," I spoke up.

"I heard him. He said slow, not that I had to be bedridden. I can't sit still for too long without going crazy." Emmett glanced at me, then at Carlisle.

"First things first. I'll get someone up from rehab either today or first thing tomorrow, depending on their schedule. We will work on you getting to the bathroom with as little assistance as possible as your first goal. In the meantime, you can't leave the bed without another person helping, since we don't want you falling," Carlisle explained calmly.

"I'll be good, Doc," Emmett promised. "If I can't play football, then I'm going to shoot for baseball. I was thinking of giving up basketball and wrestling anyway."

"Do you remember the three words I told you earlier," Carlisle asked.

Emmett's eyebrows furrowed. "Touchdown…um…spoon, and … shit. I don't know the third."

"That's okay. It's not uncommon to be disoriented when coming out of a coma. We will try again later," Carlisle placated him. "I have other rooms I need to check in on. I'll be back to visit you later. We will probably move you out of ICU to a regular room," he said before leaving.

After he left, we stared at each other for a few minutes in uncomfortable silence. I wasn't sure what to tell him about Dad, and I didn't want the first thing we talked about to be me accusing him of using Rosalie. Emmett reached for his cup and winced painfully as he struggled to keep his grasp.

"Here, let me help." I went over and lifted the cup to his mouth.

He took a sip and closed his eyes for a moment. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I said softly.

"You don't have to wait on me." He gave me a guilty look.

"I wasn't planning on it." I set the cup down on the table and moved it closer, so it was in easier reach of his left hand. "Is that easier?"

The cup shook a little, but he managed to get the straw to his mouth. "Yeah. But I mean it, no more waiting on me. Where's Dad?"

I sighed. "Dad…isn't here. He went away to receive help."

"Help? For what? He's not an alcoholic. He had two beers at the game, and that's a rare thing." Emmett looked confused.

"No, Em, not that kind of rehab. He…"

We were interrupted by Sue, who brought in medication for Emmett and to change his catheter bag. I spotted Edward in the doorway, who waved me over.

"Hey, how was purgatory," I teased, walking over to him.

"Long and boring. My mom has book club tonight, so we'll be left to fend for ourselves. Can I take you to dinner at the diner?" he asked.

"I'd like that. What time are you off?" I asked.

"Six today. I'll meet you in the lobby." He surprised me by kissing me lightly on the lips.

"What the fuck? Get away from my sister!" I heard Emmett yell before his heart alarm sounded.

**A/N: Emmett is awake and there will be more from him in the next chapter. I apologize for not getting to answer many reviews last chapter. The summer has been crazy with three kids home all the time. **

**There were some mixed reviews about Charlie leaving. The best ways to describe it is he stepped aside because he realized he was causing more harm than good and he left to get therapy to be a better father. There were several who feel like Edward in this chapter, and others hoping for redemption, we shall see what happens. **

**More to come soon. Thank for sharing all your thoughts with me and to those who helped vote this story into the top 10 for ficdiv of the year on different forest. **


	14. Chapter 13

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 13**

A quick glance at the smirk on Edward's face, and I knew he purposely kissed me in front of Emmett. What his intentions were, I wasn't so sure. I shot him a look, and his smile fell slightly.

"I'll see you downstairs later," I told him before I headed back to Emmett.

Sue was trying her best to calm him. However, he was red in the face and was glaring at the doorway. His eyes flickered to me, staring at me in disbelief.

"Emmett, calm down," I said sternly.

"You're not going anywhere with him," Emmett snapped.

"Young man, your sister is right, you need to relax. I'm about five seconds away from calling Dr. Cullen to sedate you. Bella, maybe it's best if you leave for a while," she said pleadingly.

"Of course," I agreed, going for my things.

"No. She needs to stay right here. I'm not going to be calm until we talk about this," Emmett refused, looking agitated.

"I will _talk_ with you, but if you start yelling or your heart rate rockets, I'm out that door." I pointed at it.

"Fine," Emmett grumbled and took a couple of deep breaths, wincing.

Sue clucked her tongue and shook her head. "This is going against my better judgment, so don't make me regret it. I will be watching your monitor at the nurses' station. If I don't like what I see, then I will be back to sedate you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Emmett said in more even tone.

She gave him one more stern look before leaving the room. As soon as she was gone, Emmett turned to me. He went to run his hand through his hair but grimaced when he lifted his arm.

"After having multiple injuries, you should probably be keeping still," I advised.

"I'll try, but it's hard. How have you been?" he asked me as if it was a normal visit.

"How have I been…seriously, Em? That's what you ask me? What was with you a minute ago?" I demanded, sitting on the edge of my chair.

He sighed. "You need to stay away from Edward," he said calmer than before.

"Give me one good reason why?" I said, crossing my arms in front of me.

"He's not the good guy, as you may think he is, and you could get hurt," he insisted.

"Are you talking about him racing? Big deal, he could be doing a lot worse. I'm not going to get in the car with him while he's doing it if that's what you're worried about."

"It's against the law." Emmett looked at me incredulously. "Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if Edward was using you to get to me."

"Excuse me?" I flinched as old insecurities started to rise in the back of my mind.

"I said…"

"I know what you said…I just can't believe you said that to me. Do you seriously think no one here in Forks will give me the time of day if it's not related to you?" I felt hurt.

"I didn't mean it like…" Emmett looked guilty.

"If you want to talk about using people, let's talk about Rose, shall we?" I raised an eyebrow.

He became pale. "I'm not using Rosie."

"Then what do you call leading her on so she can do your schoolwork for you," I asked.

"Who told you that…Edward?" Emmett looked upset.

"He told me years ago you pretended to be his friend when we were kids. Then, not too long ago, you apologized, but only to try to get him to do your work for you. When he refused, you went to Rose," I answered him.

Emmett was silent and shifted uncomfortably. "And you believe him?"

"I think there is some merit to what he said. I was right there when Dad told you to look out for him. As if him being bullied wasn't enough, he then finds out the kid who he thought was his friend wasn't and really thought he was pathetic," I answered honestly.

"I never called him pathetic that was Mike," Emmett defended himself.

"Did you only apologize to get him to help you with school?" I asked firmly.

"Yes…No…I have always felt guilty how things happened back then," Emmett admitted.

"Let start at the beginning, can you read?" I asked him.

He closed his eyes. "Sort of. I find it really hard. When I try, everything looks like a jumbled mess, and it doesn't make sense to me."

I sighed. "Why haven't you gotten any help? And not from other kids, Em, I'm talking about being tested. If Mom was right, and you're dyslexic, there are ways to help you, so you don't struggle with school."

"Because it shows weakness. Dad says I should play to my strengths and if I played pro sports, I wouldn't need to worry about money or education," he explained.

"Except you need to be able to read to understand your contracts." I rolled my eyes.

"That's what you hire managers and lawyers for." Emmett shrugged.

"It's not a weakness to admit you need help. You can't be good at everything," I said softly.

"I know. But back to Rosie, I'm not using her—I promise, I'm not. I admit it might of have started out that way, but she put a stop to it immediately. She refused to do the work for me because that wouldn't be helping. She's been teaching me different ways to study. She even went to my teachers, and I now take most of my tests orally rather than written. So, Edward is wrong, I'm earning my grades," he said.

"He wasn't completely wrong, though, was he? I'm glad Rose is helping you." I felt a lot better about the situation.

"No, he wasn't," Emmett reluctantly agreed. "I honestly do care for Rosie. But you can't tell Dad, he won't approve. He thinks girls will just sidetrack me from my goals."

"That's ridiculous. I won't tell him, but you should. You owe it to yourself and her, it's not fair to treat her as if she's your dirty little secret. I know she has been dying to see you, so I will make sure it's allowed," I told him.

"I would like that. That reminds me, you said Dad was getting help. But for what? He's not an alcoholic, so was he injured too?" Emmett's concern returned.

"His injuries were minor compared to yours. He's getting help for the way he treats us. I'm not sure if you heard anything when you were in a coma, but I kinda had it out with him. I accused him of trying to rush your recovery and how he treats me like…"

"Like shit." Emmett finished for me.

"I was going to say like I don't exist, but that works too." I managed a humorless laugh.

Emmett looked out the window at the rain then turned back to me, looking upset. "I heard some—a lot of it's hazy. Were you…raped?" He lowered his voice and clenched his good fist. His heart rate started to rise.

"Emmett, we should probably talk about this when you're better." I was reluctant to have this talk. "I don't blame you or Dad for what happened. What I said was in the heat of the moment." I hoped that placated him.

"That is not what I asked." Emmett refused to back down.

"No, it came pretty close though. I don't even know everything that happened. When I was fighting him off, I hit my head and blacked out. When I awoke, Mom was dead, and I was told he killed himself. After an examination by the doctor, I knew he didn't succeed, so I didn't bother to report it," I explained.

"And you didn't think Dad or I would have cared to know?" he said incredulously.

I closed my eyes and turned my head. I took a deep breath and opened them again. I watch the raindrops splatter against the glass.

"Oh my God, Bella. You really didn't think we would care, did you?" Emmett sounded shell-shocked.

I turned back to him. His face was pale, and he looked stunned and sick. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Can you really blame me, Em? When have you or Dad ever acknowledge anything that happened in my life?" I asked bitterly.

He bowed his head. "I've been so wrapped up with my own things; I've been a horrible brother, haven't I? I tried though, reading the stuff you got awards for and your book. But since it was a struggle, I was afraid to tell you. If you asked questions about what I read, I wouldn't have been able to answer, and it would've looked like I was lying. Rosie has been reading your book to me. It's good; a little girly for me, but I can see why people like it."

"Why not just tell me the truth? I'm your twin, did you actually believe I would think less of you if I knew you had a hard time reading?" I asked.

"I don't know. I always got the feeling you didn't like me too much. I think I'm starting to see why?" He frowned.

"It was never you personally, Em. I love you, but I resented how I was treated by Dad compared to you. I also never hated seeing you play, I only wanted it to be my turn sometime. I would have helped you if I knew you were struggling, not looked down on you. Regardless of what Dad said to you, it's not weak to admit you need help," I said.

"Maybe we can start fresh?" Emmett asked. "Especially since you're back."

I brushed my hair behind my ear. "I would like to be closer, but I'm not going to lie to you—my home is still in Florida. I will be going back at some point."

"Back to _them_? I'm your real family," Emmett said bitterly.

"Alice and Phil have been very good to me. You'd like them to if you'd give them a chance. You had no problem accepting the new uniforms and equipment that Phil donated for the teams you're on," I said.

"That was him? Coach just said it was an anonymous benefactor," Emmett said.

"Yes, it was him," I confirmed.

"That was really nice of Phil. Forks usually gets the short end of the stick went it comes to state funds," Emmett admitted, then rubbed his chest. "My throat is killing me. Would you mind getting me a soda?"

"I doubt you'll be allowed all that sugar. I can get you more water or ice chips. Before I leave, I can ask Sue if you're allowed a milkshake and bring you one back."

"You're still going?" Emmett started to get upset again.

"Yes. Maybe if your throat is hurting you should rest your voice." I was hoping not to argue.

"Edward is dangerous. Are you in love with him or something?" Emmett looked concerned.

"I'm just getting to know him, I'm not in love with him. But I do really like him. And we talked about this, I'm not going to go race with him." I sighed.

"He also rumored to hang out with James. James is a big-time drug dealer in Port Ang," Emmett whispered.

"Does Edward sell? I have never seen him high or other signs he does drugs?" I asked.

"I don't know, but he keeps bad company, isn't that enough?" Emmett said.

"You said rumored. Have you or anyone credible seen him with James? The only friend I met was Jasper," I said.

"I don't know who that is, but Mike saw them this one time at a party in Port Ang," Emmett stated.

"Oh, that sounds trustworthy." I rolled my eyes. "Did you ever wonder what Mike was doing at that party?"

"Uh…no." Emmett shook his head.

"Well, like it or not, I'm going to dinner with him. It's at the diner, so I doubt we can get into too much trouble there," I told him.

"Please be careful." Emmet didn't look happy but wasn't going to fight me anymore. "Is it true that they removed part of my brain?"

I started to laugh. "It was part of your skull, not your brain, to help reduce the stress of the pressure. It's a small hole, so even you don't have to worry about your brain falling out," I teased.

"Very funny," Emmett grumbled, but a small smile formed on his face.

**S**

Emmett was sleeping when it was time for me to leave. I was a little disappointed, I was hoping he would be awake so I could see his reaction to his surprise. A figure appeared in the door, looking cautiously inside. I grabbed my things and met her.

"I'm glad you could make it. He's been sleeping off and on, but I know he'll be happy to see you," I whispered.

"Thank you for letting me come," Rose said graciously.

"Rosie?" Emmett called out; his voice still rough.

"Emmett." She turned her attention to him and hurried to his side.

She took his good hand in hers, and they looked at each adoringly, forgetting I was in the room. I knew Edward was completely wrong about them for sure now. I concluded that Edward's personal experience with Emmett must have clouded his view of the situation.

I left the room and headed for the main lobby. Edward was already changed and waiting. by a column. However, he wasn't alone. He was talking to a woman with bright red hair, who I had never seen before. When she spotted me, she smirked and walked away. Edward turned and gave me a smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I wasn't entirely sure if you were still coming," he said.

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked.

"You didn't seem happy that I kissed you," Edward commented.

"That's because it seemed like you purposely did it to piss off Emmett, and not because you wanted to kiss me." I raised an eyebrow.

"Can't it be both?" He shrugged.

"No. I refuse to let you use me to get at Emmett or vise-versa. What goes on between you two is only between yourselves—am I clear," I stated.

"Clear. I'm sorry I upset you." Edward nodded and shifted uncomfortably. "Do you still want to go to dinner?"

"I would love to," I agreed.

"Great…what in the…" Edward's eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder.

"Gotcha," someone shouted in my ear as I was grabbed from behind.

**A/N: Bella had a good talk with Emmett. She also set Edward straight not to use her to piss off Emmett. **

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.**

**Side note: Twilight Crime Crusaders Contest voting is open. You can vote on the FF page. **** Fanfiction dot net /u/12410521/ Crime-Crusaders-Contest**


	15. Chapter 14

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 14**.

"_Gotcha." Was shouted in my ear as I was grabbed from behind._

I nearly jumped out of my skin before whirling around. "Jeesh, Alice, give me a heart attack, why don't you."I glared at her before hugging her hello. She knew I hated being snuck up on.

She gave me a large grin. "Exaggerate, why don't you," she teased. "I told you if you weren't back by your birthday, I was coming for you."

"It's not my birthday…wait…is it?" I realized I had lost track of all date and time.

Alice rolled her eyes playfully. "Only you would forget about your own birthday. It's on Saturday, I convinced Daddy to let me come."

"Phil is letting you skip school?" I asked skeptically.

"Well, with the condition I visit a college while I was here. So I walked across the U-Dub quad, and now I am here." She threw her arms to embellish as she talked. "By the way, do you know how hard it is to find Sporks? It not on the map; I asked Siri, and she sent me to sites where I could buy silverware."

"Maybe you should've asked for _Forks_, Washington." Edward chuckled.

Alice turned her focus to him, and her eyes widened as she had to tilt her head up to see his face.

"Forgive me for being rude. Alice, this is…"

"You must be Edward. Hi, I'm Alice, Bella's bestie." She threw her arms around him, pinning his arms to his side in her exuberance.

He looked at me over the top of her head, appearing a mixture of uncomfortable but amused. "Where's her release button?"

"Alice, let him go, not everyone enjoys your power hugs." I put my hand on her shoulder.

She released him and took a step back. "Oops, sorry. I'm a little hyped up on caffeine. Which reminds me, where's the nearest bathroom?" she asked.

"Down that hall, third door on your left." Edward pointed in her the right direction.

"I'll be right back. Don't leave yet. I don't want to delay your date, but I need directions to the hotel. I have no cell service here." She rushed away towards the restrooms.

"So…that's Alice," Edward said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Yes, the one and only. I hate to do this, but she came all this way, and I'd feel really guilty just letting her go to The Lodge alone. I should probably stay with her."

"Bad idea." Edward shook his head. "I know my mom won't mind her staying with us—in fact, she'd insist. She can join us at the diner too." He took out his phone and started to text.

"That would be really great if you're sure you don't mind." I knew Alice was going to be hyper for a while.

"I wouldn't have offered if I did. I need to meet up with Jazz anyway, so I'll just have him join us too." He shrugged.

I quietly snorted. It would be interesting to see Jasper and Alice in the same room. She could talk forever without taking a breath, while you practically had to pull his teeth to get Jasper to speak.

Alice came back with a skip to her step, and a few bystanders gave her curious looks, as I'm sure she stood out as a visitor. She came to a stop and pulled out her phone.

"Okay, which way do I go? I think it was called The Ledge or Lodge, something like that. Can you believe they wanted to charge me an hourly rate? Talk about taking advantage of your guests…the guy acted like it was unheard of to rent for more than a day at a time."

Edward's shoulders started to shake with laughter. "I doubt it was an act, most don't rent for more than an hour or two."

"That seems like a waste. Why would someone only need the room for an hour or … oh?" Alice's eyes widened, and her face turned bright pink as the realization hit her.

"You're more than welcome to stay at my parents' house like Bella. I think you'll find it more comfortable there."

"That sounds wonderful, thank you." Alice looked relieved.

**S**

"This place is so cute. It's like one from an old movie about the '50s. Do they have a jukebox and everything?" Alice asked, looking around the diner.

She had protested at first, but we convinced her she wouldn't be intruding if she joined us.

"They used to have one, but they finally got rid of it last year. It probably died sometime in the 80s. I don't remember it ever working," Edward said, leading us to a booth in the back corner.

Alice grabbed a menu from behind the napkin holder and started to scan it.

"Do they have a specialty here?" she asked.

"Not really. Everyone seems to like the cherry cobbler." Edward shrugged, taking the menu I handed him.

"That sounds good. Will either of you split some onion rings with me?" Alice asked.

"I will. I think I want a barbeque bacon cheddar burger and a chocolate milkshake," I said, glancing at the menu.

"Sounds good, I will have the same, except with a root beer float." Edward closed his menu.

"Oooh…they do breakfast all day. By the way, I have a question about Hamlet." Alice looked at me pleadingly.

"How does breakfast remind you of Hamlet?" Edward looked confused.

"Don't ask." I giggled. "What's your question?"

"Does Hamlet love Ophelia?" Alice casually asked.

"I'm not answering your essay question for you." I shook my head at her.

Alice pouted. "But I can't decide. One minute he seems to then next he's horrible to her. I just want a second opinion."

"Maybe he does love her, except all the shit in his life made him question it and her feelings for him," Edward said lowly.

Alice's eyes lit up, and she nodded her head eagerly. "I like it…I can make that work. Except for the _shit_ part, Old Mrs. Sanders would have a conniption. Thanks, you're a lifesaver."

I looked up when I felt someone approach the table, expecting the waitress. However, it was Jasper. He nodded his head to me, then turned to look at Alice. She was looking back with interest.

"Alice, this is my friend Jasper. Jazz, this is Bella's friend, Alice. She came to celebrate Bella's birthday," Edward introduced them.

"Alice." Jasper tipped his hat to her

She blushed. "Hi."

She stared up at him for a moment longer, then realized she had to move further into the booth so Jasper could sit. He sat next to her with one leg still out in the aisle.

Jasper turned to me. "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, it's actually on Saturday though," I said.

"Happy Birthday early then." He smirked.

"Should I be worried?" Alice asked, looking out the window.

I followed her gaze, and I felt Edward turn in his seat beside me. Several boys from the high school were circling around my car and the yellow Porsche that Alice had been driving.

"Naw, it's just a bunch of dumb jocks," Edward said.

"Oh well, in that case." Alice pulled her keys out of her purse and hit a button.

The lights started flashing, and the horn began to blare. They guys all quickly backed away from the car. Mike tripped over his own feet and landed in a pothole filled with muddy water. I started laughing and turned back around. Alice had a gleeful look on her face and an impish glint in her eye. Both Edward and Jasper were openly laughing their heads off.

I reached across the table, grabbed the starter out of Alice's hands, and turned off the alarm. The Porsche instantly silenced, and the jocks looked around in confusion. Mike got out of the puddle and was scowling.

"Aww, you ruined my fun," Alice complained playfully.

"Mischief managed, evil pixie." I handed her back her keys as she started to laugh.

"Nice," Jasper said.

"That car is too loud for Forks. Daddy should've gotten me something like that muddy truck right there." She pointed to another car in the lot.

"Uh…Alice that's Jasper's," I said, glancing at him.

Alice shook her head. "I wasn't trying to insult it, just making a point. Our cars look like they should be driving down the streets of L.A.—they stick out here. Daddy should've gotten us something more country-like, like a truck."

"May I take your orders, dears?" A waitress came up to the table and pulled her pen out from behind her ear.

Once we told her, she went back to the kitchen. I noticed the group of guys that were near Alice's car had now come inside. They had taken a table on the other side of the room. Taylor saw me and nudged Mike, but neither came over to ask about Emmet like I thought they would.

"So, what are we doing for your birthday? I imagine the beach is out—too cold." Alice shivered.

"I had plans to go shopping for warmer things," I told her.

Alice grinned. "I am always open for shopping."

"I doubt Port Angeles will have any of the types of stores you like," I warned her.

"Shopping is shopping." She shrugged.

"I guess you're off the hook," I told Edward, who frowned at the idea.

"I don't want to mess up your plans. I already crashed your dinner; I can find something else to do." Alice looked between Edward and me apologetically.

"It's fine. You traveled all this way to celebrate Bella's birthday with her and don't have much time before you're heading back. Maybe we can meet up for dinner or a movie after you girls finish," Edward suggested.

Alice nodded eagerly. "Perfect." She turned to Jasper. "Will you be joining us?"

"I'll be busy," Jasper said cryptically.

"Racing?" Alice whispered.

Jasper shook his head and exchanged a look with Edward. "No, I don't race. I leave that to the crazy people, who have death wishes." He smirked.

"Are you racing, Edward? It sounds exciting." Alice looked interested.

"I think it's best to stay away from that to avoid temptation," Edward commented, his hand found mine under the table and we laced our fingers together.

"Is that what you wanted to do though, after high school? Become a race car driver?" Alice asked.

"I haven't really decided. My father hopes I'll become a doctor like him. It's something I thought about, but I'm not sure if it's my passion," Edward answered honestly.

"Maybe you should look at becoming an EMT and drive the ambulance. Then you get the thrill of both," I suggested.

"I thought of that too, but I would need to move to a bigger city. Forks doesn't have much excitement," he said.

"You should move to Florida. Jacksonville is always on the go," Alice commented.

Edward paused. "I'm sure it is. However, my parents—my mom especially—wouldn't be happy if I moved so far away. Seattle or Olympia would be more plausible."

"Of course, that makes sense." Alice nodded, her nose twitched, and she scratched it. "I need to use the restroom, come with?" She gave me a pointed look.

"Sure. Could you excuse us?" I asked Edward.

"Of course." He slid out, still holding my hand.

Alice eyed it before getting up and saying thank you to Jasper, who moved out of the way for her. She followed me to the bathroom, and unsurprisingly, she didn't head to a stall when we got in there. She wrung her hands together and looked nervous about saying something.

"Out with it, pixie," I said, crossing my arms in front of me.

"Edward knows you're not staying in Forks, right?" she asked.

"Of course. I told you he tried to convince me to leave just a couple of days ago. Why?" I wondered where she was going with this.

"It's just obvious that things between you two are more than just friendly. And if he stays in Washington and you're in Florida, it would be hard to have any type of romantic relationship," she pointed out.

"It's way too early to worry about that," I told her.

She gave me a knowing look. "Is it? Maybe you don't see it as clearly as I can. But I see how you look at him and him at you. He's clearly smitten with you."

"What are you trying to get at, Alice?" I asked, feeling very confused.

She sighed heavily and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what I'm saying. I'm just getting weird vibes about…"

The bathroom door opened, and Lauren bounced in with Jessica. "Hi, Betty."

"It's Bella. Lauren. Jessica, this is my friend Alisha." I nodded to Alice, who gave me a strange look.

"Nice to meet you, Alice," Lauren said without missing a beat.

Alice blinked furiously and managed a grin. "Hey."

"Lauren, you'll be happy to know your boyfriend is awake," I said, testing her.

"Tyler fell asleep?" Lauren appeared confused as she glanced at Jessica, who shrugged.

"I was talking about Emmett." I hinted.

"Oh, Emmett isn't my boyfriend. Tyler is, he's football captain. Remember…I'm cheer captain, so the two of us go together like so." Lauren linked her pinkie fingers and placed them over her heart.

"That is so superficial." Alice shook her head, unimpressed.

"Aww…that is so sweet. Thank you." Lauren smile widened. "It was nice seeing you." She disappeared into a stall as Jessica examined her hair in the mirror.

Alice gave me a look that said, _what the fuck_, before grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the bathroom.

"Was she for real? Did she really think I complimented her?" Alice asked incredulously.

"Probably. She thinks superficial and super or awesome mean the same thing," I told her.

"Oh, my God." Alice shook her head, then glanced at the table. "Looks like our food is here."

"Wait as second…what about your weird vibes?" I asked.

Alice shook it off. "I'm sure it's nothing… probably jetlag or something." She shrugged it off and walked ahead to the booth.

I followed behind her, and Edward stood and let me through. As I took my seat, I started to wonder to myself, what was I doing? At first, I was thinking clearly and that I should keep any possibilities of a relationship off the table. However, little by little, my guard had dropped without thinking about _the outcome. Now we were planning dates, holding hands, and kissing like a real couple. However, I knew realistically any relationship was destined to fail if neither of us moved. So why set myself up for heartbreak?_

_"Is your food, okay?" Edward wrapped his arm over my shoulders and whispered in my ear._

_I broke out of my thoughts and turned to him. Looking into his eyes made my concerns instantly disappear. "I'm sure it's fine. I'm just thinking too much," I told him._

_"About?" he prompted. _

_Before I could answer, I was interrupted by Alice's exclamation over the fact that Jasper was a high school dropout. The conversation at the table quickly turned over to diploma verses G.E.D. and trade school versus college. _

_**A/N: As many of you guessed, yes Alice has finally arrived. She's a bundle of energy. What do you think about what she brought up about Edward and Bella's relationship? Note she's doesn't hate Edward, she is just looking out for her friend. **_

_**Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with me. **_


	16. Chapter 15

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**CH 15**

Friday evening, I took my work to the den so Alice could sleep. She never did travel well, and it would take her a day or two to catch up in a new time zone. My computer was pushed to the side for the moment as I looked through some course catalogs for U-Dub.

I had gone to the high school earlier in the day and picked up some work for Emmett. While I was there, I asked the guidance counselor for some local college information. She seemed surprised but handed me a few.

"Hey, will I disturb you if I watch a movie?" Edward appeared in the doorway, and I noticed he was wearing his glasses.

"No, I'm taking a break." I closed my computer and stacked the catalogs on them. "What are you planning to watch?"

"Solo," he said as he took a seat next to me.

"Solo," I prompted with a wave of my hand.

"It's about Han Solo from Star Wars," he explained.

"Gotcha, I always thought you'd be more of a Trekie," I teased.

He smirked and placed his arm around my shoulders. "I like both; are you going to stay and watch with me?"

"Sure, as long as you don't mind." I snuggled into his side.

"Why would I mind? Do you ask a lot of questions during the movie?" His eyes glinted with humor.

"No, that's all, Alice." I giggled.

"Where is she anyway?" Edward asked, playing with a strand of my hair.

"Sleeping," I answered.

He grinned and pulled me into his lap. "Good, then no one can bother us."

"What abou…" He kissed me, causing me to forget what I was about to ask him.

He cupped my cheek and tilted my head. His other hand rested against my waist, and his thumb brushed against the sliver of skin above the waistband of my leggings. I went to run my finger through his hair, and my fingers bumped his glasses. He pulled back and took them off.

"I hate these things," he commented.

"What happened to your contacts," I asked.

"I can only wear them so long before they start to irritate me. I'm hoping my parents will agree to Lasik," Edward said.

He leaned forward, keeping one arm on my waist, so I didn't slip off his lap. He placed his glasses down and picked up one of the catalogs. He squinted a bit then looked at the one that was below it.

"Are those for Emmett?" he asked, sitting back against the couch.

"No, they are for me, actually," I told him. "I only planned on taking a year off."

"These are all for Washington; I thought you were going back to Florida." His lower jaw tensed.

"I just wanted to keep my options open." I shrugged, nervous to tell him the reason why. He might think I was one of those crazy girls.

His eyes narrowed. 'Because you need to take care of Emmett. He's grown man, he'll be fine."

"My reason has very little to do with him. There's another reason, and it might sound crazy…" I started to blush.

His eyes widened, and he paled. "Me?" His voice cracked.

Crap….

"Alice mentioned how hard it would be to have a relationship if we were on opposite sides of the country. I knew you wanted to stay around this area because of your mom, so I thought the only logical solution." I paused, waiting for him to say something.

He didn't, though. He just stared at me wordlessly, and I couldn't read the emotion on his face. He didn't seem mad…possibly freaked. I slid off his lap, feeling completely mortified.

"Forget it…I obviously just freaked you out." My voice stammered. "I swear I wasn't trying to rush you into anything. I like you a lot, I can even see…" I stopped myself before I said anything more embarrassing.

Edward was staring blankly ahead. I swallowed roughly and hoped I could make it out of the room without bursting into tears. He reached out and grabbed my hand before I was able to get up from the couch.

"Wait, we should talk about this," he said quietly.

I sat back down. "Funny. I think I was the only one talking." I refused to meet his eyes; I didn't want to see the rejection in them, hearing it would be enough.

"I'm sorry; you caught me off-guard. I had no idea you were thinking this way." He reached over and placed a hand on my cheek, turning my head, so I was looking at him. There was no rejection in his eyes, just kindness with a touch of sadness. "I like you much more than I thought I would. I'm floored you would even think of moving here to be with me. But Bella, I am afraid I'm not worth it."

"Why would you say that?" I asked in surprise. He never struck me as someone who lacked self-confidence. I shifted my body so I could face him better. I took the hand that rested against my cheek and held it in both of mine. "Of course, you're worth it. Do you need me to list the many reasons why?"

He smirked, but his mood didn't seem better. "No. But thank you. I just think"—he hesitated and ran his hand through his hair— "moving here would be too soon."

"I said the same to Alice; however, she got me thinking. I hadn't made a decision yet. But what _are_ we doing…just having fun?" I asked skeptically.

"I think it's more than just fun. But do we need to decide now?" he asked.

"No." I shook my head.

"Do you still want to watch the movie with me," he asked.

"Sure," I agreed and got comfortable next to him on the couch. I tried to pay attention, but things still seemed strange between us.

**S**

I walked beside Alice down the corridor toward Emmett's new room. She was grinning like a madwoman, thoroughly pleased with herself. The balloon she was bringing bounced along behind us.

"Stop shaking your head, he's going to get a kick out of it. He didn't lose his sense of humor, did he?" Alice asked.

"No, not that I know of," I told her.

Alice and Emmett had a weird relationship—even though our parents were close to getting married they weren't close. They got along okay for the most part, but there always seemed to be an invisible wall between them.

I stepped into his room first, while Alice hoovered in the doorway. Emmett was sitting up in bed with his tray in front of him. He had more color to his complexion, and he appeared to be unhooked from all the machines. He was clumsily trying to use a spoon to stab at some Jell-O.

"Dammit," he snapped, throwing the spoon across the room.

"Would you like some help?" I asked.

"No, I don't need your help," he growled.

"Don't speak to her like that," Alice scolded him.

He glanced at her in surprise then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Sorry, Belly."

"You can make it up to me by never calling me Belly ever again," I told him.

"Deal. I'm just frustrated that I can't even feed myself. You have no idea how hard it is to eat with your non-dominate hand."

"Actually, I do." I stooped down to pick up the spoon. "I fell off the stage during a ballet recital and broke my right arm."

Emmett smirked. "How did I miss that?"

"I believe you were playing in a basketball holiday jamboree," I answered, putting the dirty utensil on the tray. "I'll go get you a new spoon."

"Don't bother, I'm sick of Jell-O. I can't wait until they let me have more than soft foods." He pushed the tray away.

"Well, I brought something that might help. Esme sent her homemade chicken soup. And I made you some dirt."

"You made me _dirt?_" He furrowed his eyebrows.

I held up the container of chocolate pudding treat with crushed Oreos and whipped cream. His face broke out into a grin, and he reached out with his good hand.

"Does it have Gummy Worms, too?" he asked.

"Like it would be decent dirt without them. I knew you weren't going to be allowed cake, so I figured it was the next best thing. Would you like me to stick a candle on it, though I doubt the hospital will let me light it," I offered as I took off the lid and put it on the tray.

"Why would…dang. I didn't realize I was out for that long. It's our birthday. Happy Birthday, womb mate," he said.

"Happy birthday, little brother." I hugged him gently.

He grabbed the spoon and dug into the pudding. I wrinkled my nose as he ate a large mouthful of pudding, along with a yellow and green worm.

"Gross! Emmett that spoon was on the floor a moment ago," I complained.

"What? This is a hospital, the floor can't get any cleaner," Emmett insisted.

"Yeah, because hospitals never have any germs," Alice said sarcastically.

"Not in this room. I have a screwed up knee and shoulder," Emmett said.

"That's not how…never mind. I brought you a present." Alice held out the balloon.

"Why does it say…It's a boy?" Emmett looked confused.

"I figured you had plenty of _get well soon_ ones, and they didn't have a _happy birthday one_. So, I got you this." She brought it over and placed it in front of the others.

Emmett started to laugh, and his shoulders shook, making him wince. "Thanks, Alice."

"You're welcome." She turned to me with a triumphant look. "I told you he'd like it."

"Are you staying long?" Emmett asked.

"Not really. I had plans to go to Port Angeles with Alice then see a movie and have dinner," I answered.

I hoped he didn't expect me to stay. It had been years since we spent our birthdays together. I felt slightly guilty that he might spend it alone, but I had assumed Rose was going to be here. Alice shot me a look and shook her head slightly as if she knew what I was thinking.

"Have fun. Rose should show up later after work. I bet the guys will come by at some point—I haven't seen them yet. Rosie said they haven't won a game all season. How did they do last night?" He frowned.

"I have no clue." I shrugged.

"I feel kind of guilty; a lot of them were counting on scholarships for next year, and I'm letting them down." Emmett frowned.

"Em, it's not your fault if they don't get scholarships. They should get one on their own merit, not riding your coattails," I said sternly.

"I agree with Bella. Besides, I doubt most of them would be making a career out of it anyway, so they can just get over it," Alice said.

"Yeah…you're right." Emmett's voice sounded far off, and the light faded from his eyes. He turned his head and looked out the window.

I shot Alice a look to say, _what the heck?_ She gave me a confused expression, so I pointedly glanced at Emmett then back at her, raising an eyebrow. Her confusion melted into a cringe, and she appeared immediately guilty.

"Emmett…" she started.

"I don't want to keep you from your fun," he said dismissively.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I promised him.

"See ya, Bells. Is that better?" He turned back from the window.

"I can live with Bells. Say hi to Rose for me," I said.

"My flight is tomorrow, so I hope your recovery goes well," Alice said softly.

Emmett nodded. "Thanks. Have a safe flight back, Alice."

We walked out of the room, and Alice groaned as soon as we were out of earshot.

"Will it ever _not_ be awkward between the two of us?" She sighed.

"It didn't go that badly," I told her.

"I practically told him to get over the fact his potential career was over. You don't call that bad?" she stated incredulously.

"I think he knows you meant guys like Mike and Tyler. His recovery still leaves everything up in the air," I told her as we waited for the elevator.

"What's his back-up plan?" Alice asked.

"I don't think he has one." I hit the lobby button.

Alice leaned against the wall. "Well, not to sound like the voice of doom but he's going to want to figure one out sooner rather than later."

**S**

It was two-thirds into the movie when I realized I couldn't hold it any longer.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back," I whispered to Edward, who was sitting on the aisle.

"I'll go with you," he said.

"You can't, I'm going to the girl's room." I giggled.

"Take Alice with you," he insisted.

I looked over my shoulder to see Alice was engrossed in the movie. "She's enjoying the movie. I'll be back in a second; this conversation is taking longer than it would take me to go."

He let me by, and I hurried through the theater and into the restroom across the hall. Someone in high heels entered after me and went to the sinks. She was still there when I exited. I noticed it was the redhead from the hospital lobby.

I smiled and went to a sink a few down from her. Just as I was turning off the faucets, I felt something press into my back. I tried to look behind me, but all I saw was her coat.

"Come with me and don't make a sound," she hissed.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I glared at her through the mirror.

I heard a distinctive click, and a gun was pushed into my spine.

"I will shoot, and just so you know, I have someone in Emmett's room right now," she threatened.

"I don't believe you." I shook my head.

"Are you really going to test that theory?" she asked. "Come with me, and no one will get hurt."

"Fine." I knew going with her was a bad idea, but I didn't know what else to do. Hopefully, Edward would come to look for me.

She led me out the bathroom just as another show was getting out, so the hallway was busy. We followed the flow of people to back exit. Parked by the curb wasa dark gray sedan. The backdoor opened, and she pushed me through.

"Well…well...well, who do we have here? It looks like Emmett Swan's sister." The driver stared at me in the rearview mirror.

I looked back in horror as my insides ran cold.

"You're supposed to be dead."

**A/N: I'm sure a few of you are wondering what dirt is. It's a layered treat made with chocolate pudding, whipped cream, crushed Oreo cookies on top and gummy worms mixed in. Sometimes served in a nice bowl, other times people get creative and use a flowerpot or sand pail. **

**I know I ended in a dreaded cliffy and one that seemed to come out of left field. All I can say is sit tight it will all make sense very soon, I promise. **

**Thank you for all your reviews.**


	17. Chapter 16

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Disclaimer: There is mild violence(very little) in this chapter. On a scale from 1 to 2 I would say maybe 2. No rape. **

**Ch 16 **

My stomach turned, and I fought not to vomit in the car. I instinctively reached for my pockets but remembered that this pair of jeans was too small for my phone. Meanwhile, the eyes of my mother's killer kept staring at me.

The blaring of horns finally snapped his gaze back to the road ahead. The car swerved, tossing us around in our seats. The woman collided roughly into the side of the car.

"Dam it, James, pay attention. Are you trying to get us killed?" the redhead snapped.

"Shut up, Vicki, before I do it for you," he growled.

While they were distracted, I reached for the door handle. Taking my chances of tucking and rolling and hopefully not getting hit by another car sounded safer than staying with them. But then, I heard the gun click as it was pressed into my side.

"Don't even think about it, Emmett's sister," James taunted.

"My name is…" I stopped myself.

"Isabella…Bella. Oh, I know." James snickered.

"How are you still alive?" I asked.

"Easy…I never died. Someone who was more expendable took my place. I am rather impressed by the fact that you recognized me even though I was wearing a mask. I have to admit that complicates things." He shook his head, then came to a sudden stop and leaned on his horn.

Garage bay doors opened, albeit slowly, and creaked as we made our way into a building that looked like an old warehouse. Thinking if I didn't escape before we drove in, I might lose my last chance, I reached for the handle once more only to have the gun jab me harder this time. I was sure it would leave a mark.

"Try again, and I'll put a bullet in your head," Vicki hissed.

"Only maim, Vicki baby, we need to keep her alive," James remarked as he pulled into the building.

Inside, it looked like a garage for high-end vehicles. I saw a one being spray-painted and another stripped down to its frame. It didn't take a genius to figure out I was in a chop shop. A familiar green car sat on a lift and appeared to be getting new tires. My heart thudded against my chest.

James parked in the middle of the floor. He got out, slammed the door behind him, and then opened mine, yanking me out by the elbow. I stumbled and landed on the concrete. He pulled me up and threw me against the side of the car.

"What do you want from me? I thought you were dead; no one was looking for you. Are you trying to finish the job you started of raping me?"

"What the hell? You tried to rape her?" Vicki looked at me in disgust and back at him in anger.

He backhanded her, and her head snapped to the side. He then pointed a finger in her face. "Who are you to question me? I do what I want, when I want. I don't answer to anyone."

He turned to me and studied me for a moment. "You really don't know, do you? And I was told you were very smart. So smart you even graduated early."

"Who told you that?" I wondered aloud as the feeling of dread started to raise my suspicions.

"A friend. I'm out five hundred grand from betting on a game, thanks to your brother." James snarled, his ugly face becoming even uglier.

"But he always wins, why would you be stupid enough to bet against him?" I asked.

James raised his hand, and I flinched and closed my eyes as I prepared to be smacked. After a moment of nothing happening, I reopened my eyes. He stood there smirking, then slapped me hard across the face.

"Everyone bets on what they think is a sure win, and the payout is small. But betting on the unexpected team and having them win, gives you a larger payout. Are you seeing where I'm going with this?" he explained.

"But as I said, Emmett hardly ever loses. He'd never throw a game, how could expect him to lose…" It was then it clicked into place. "You thought he'd miss a game and fly to Florida if you attacked my mother and me," I concluded.

"Imagine my surprise to find out they still went to the game." James tsked. "I killed one of my best guys that night for nothing."

"I don't know why you were surprised. Anyone who is anyone knows that my father and Emmett don't give a shit about me," I bent the truth, at least I knew now Emmett cared. "So if you are hoping to get a ransom for me, you'll be out of luck because they won't pay it. You got what you want anyway; Emmett won't be playing sports any time soon."

"Well, that's a plus, but I already got my revenge on your father and Emmett. However, I am still out a lot of money, and my little friend gave me an idea about who I can get it from." James didn't look worried.

What he said had me curious for a couple of reasons. One, Emmett's accident had been because of a deer, so how could James take credit for that? Two, I could only assume he would think Phil could pay that large amount of cash. He must know how close we are. He had to realize my book sales were doing well but not millions of dollars well, so I couldn't come up with it. I tried to think of who he could be getting his information from but was drawing a blank. I hadn't been around that many people here for a long time.

"Who's your _friend_ that knows so much about me?" I asked, afraid that I already knew the answer.

"Yo, Jay, do you want us to change the oil too?" someone shouted.

I turned my head robotically in his direction and saw it was the same guy from the races; the one who told Edward a guy named Jay wanted him to drive. That's why the green car looked familiar…Jay and James were the same person. Emmett was right—Edward was working with James, and he had been using me. My stomach turned, and I felt hollow inside.

"Don't waste my time, asking stupid questions," James hollered back. "Vicki, take her to the storage room and make sure you lock her up real tight. I need to deal with these morons."

Vicki grabbed my elbow and guided me toward the back. She was moving so fast I tripped over a can in the hallway; she paused to let me get my footing before pulling me along again. She undid the bolt lock and opened a heavy wooden door then gestured me inside.

I was surprised when she followed me in. She paced back and forth in front of a shelf filled with unmarked boxes, muttering to herself. I eyed her hand as she held the gun haphazardly. Vicki came to a stop and turned to face me. The corner of her mouth had a trail of blood, and you could see the bruise forming from where she had been hit.

"Were you lying? Did he really try to rape you?" Vicki asked angrily.

"Why would I make up something like that?" I retorted, taking a step away from her.

"Did you see him kill Demetri?" she demanded. "He said it was your mother."

"No. I blacked out when he threw me down. When I woke up in the hospital. I was told the intruder was dead; that he had killed my mother and then shot himself to avoid getting captured by the cops," I answered.

"If you had _blacked out,_ then why do you think he was going to rape you?" she questioned.

"Because he told me, as he ripped my shirt and was going for my pants. When I tried to fight him off, he pushed me hard, and I fell," I said defensively.

Her expression went blank as she turned away. She started pacing again, talking to herself. The door opened, and the redhead from the racetrack bounced into the room. Up close, it appeared she and Vicki were sisters.

"Is Edward here?" she looked around excitedly. "I was told he brought in Emmett's little sister."

"My name is Bella. We're twins, and technically, I'm older," I unconsciously stated, then felt like a fool when both turned to look at me.

"Huh…so is Edward here?" The girl turned back to Vicki.

"No, Tanya, he's not. James and I brought her in." Vicki seemed irritated.

"But where's Edward? I thought it was his job to take care of _Bella. _You know, play with her to get back at Emmett." Tanya smirked at me and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

I tried to keep my face neutral even though I was dying inside. This whole time, everything had been a lie, and it all had to do with Emmett. I had opened myself up to him in ways I had only done with Alice. No wonder he didn't want me to move here.

"I don't know where he is, nor do I care. I am not his keeper. Besides we have bigger problems on our hands," Vicki snapped, then lowered her voice. "James killed our brother."

Tanya's smirk fell, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "What? I thought her mother killed him." She pointed at me then glared. "She has to be lying to get you to doubt Jay."

"She didn't lie to me. James slipped and admitted it himself. He also tried to rape her."

Tanya frowned. "He said he only tried to scare her. What in the hell have you gotten us into, Vicki?"

"Don't go blaming me. I told you to stay out of it, but you ignored me. I have enough problems without listening to you whine. When it was just the drugs and betting, I didn't care what James did; it was all harmless. People should be able to choose how to run their own lives without the government telling them it's too dangerous. But now, he's crossed the line. I never would have been okay with murder even if it wasn't our brother. I never would've agreed to him raping anyone," Vicki said venomously.

"You do remember you threatened to shoot me in the head only a few moments ago?" I asked her.

She tossed the gun down and kicked it away. "It's not even loaded, it was just meant to scare you."

"So what are we going to do?" Tanya crossed her arms in front of her, getting upset.

"I don't know, I can't think with all your yapping," Vicki snapped at her.

Vicki started pacing like a caged tiger again while Tanya waited impatiently. Every time she passed me, I couldn't help but stare at the bruise on her face. I also noticed a few other marks on her arms. I came up with my own plan and I knew it was a shot in the dark.

"Why don't you just walk out the door and not come back?" I said quietly.

She stopped and gave me an incredulous stare. "You make it sound like it's that easy," she scoffed.

"I'm serious. Leave and go somewhere he won't look. We're close to the Canadian border; you just need to hop on a ferry with either a passport or your birth certificate and driver's license. Once there, you can turn him in," I suggested.

"He'd kill me if he found out it was me." She shook her head.

"He might kill you if you stay too. Or her." I glanced at Tanya, who was looking wide-eyed and ghostly pale. "He gave no second thought when he raised his hand to you. It will only be a matter of time before he does it again. If he doesn't kill you, he may let you take the fall for him like he did Demetri. Your best chance is to go when he least expects you to, and beat him to the punch." I tried to reason with her.

"What's in this for you? I can't take you with me," Vicki questioned.

"Contact Phil for me. I can only assume that's who James plans to hit up for ransom. Tell him where I'm being kept. I doubt James will kill me before he gets his money. You could be my only chance to get out of here alive," I pleaded with her. "If James tries to turn this against you, I'll testify that you were coerced into taking me. I want him to pay for what he did to my mother."

Vicki nodded for a moment and then turned to Tanya. "Let's go. And for heaven sakes don't talk to anyone on our way out," she ordered.

"But what about Edward?" Tanya asked uncertainly.

Vicki rolled his eyes. "For the last time, he's not here."

"He texted me for the address where James was, and I told him. I thought he was bringing Bella," Tanya insisted.

"You what?" Vicki growled

Gunfire erupted from somewhere in the building. Vicki hissed and stared worriedly at the door. Tanya shrank back and cowered by the wall. I could hear shouting, and it sounded as if the police were here. Before I could feel relieved, the doorknob started to rattle, and then the door burst opened.

"Freeze! Everyone down on the ground, and drop your weapons," a voice shouted.

I lowered myself onto my knees and looked up at the cops in riot gear. Both girls followed suit, and Tanya was crying with tears streaming down her face. Vicki's face was completely blank as she stared straight ahead. The officer in front caught my eye as he picked up Vicki's gun, and he gave me a grim smile.

"Jasper?" I exclaimed in shock.

**A/N: Is there anyone still confused to where this sudden turn came from? If so, I don't mind clearing up anything more, just say the word. But yes, Edward had a part of what happened. You can decide how much blame he deserves after the next chapter.**

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me**

.


	18. Chapter 17

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 17**

I sat in a small conference room, waiting for someone to come and take my statement. The only sound was the clock ticking, and it was getting on my nerves. I just wanted to get out of here and go…

Actually, I didn't know where I was going to go. I wasn't returning to the Cullen's that was for sure. Now that I was safe, my anger, hurt, and betrayal began building against Edward. Apparently, I underestimated his hatred for Emmett. The only thing that bothered me is why he kept trying to get me to go home.

The door opened, and Jasper stepped through, holding a file and a small recorder, which he placed on the table. He gave me a sympathetic smile before taking the seat across from me and folded his hands in front of him.

"Sorry for the wait. Before I start, can I get you anything to drink or eat?" he asked.

"No, thank you. Do I need a lawyer?" I asked.

"No. You have done nothing wrong, so you're not under arrest, but if you'd be more comfortable with one, I can make accommodations," he stated.

"I just want this over with so I can leave." I shifted in my seat uneasily.

"Then let's get started. I would like to record this with your permission," he asked.

I gave him my consent, and he hit the button. Jasper asked me what happened when I was taken. He listened silently and interjected when I brought up the fact I knew James had killed my mother.

His eyebrows rose to his hairline, and he leaned forward in his seat. "Are you sure it was him?" he asked.

"Yes, I will never forget his eyes or the sound of his voice. He even admitted it to Vicki and me. He killed her brother too, and I think she is willing to testify against him. Will she be able to get a plea deal? I seriously believe the only reason she helped him take me is because he gave her no choice," I asked.

Jasper grimaced and tapped his pen on the table. "I have no decision on that matter. However, I will pass it along to the D.A. as a possibility. What else can you tell me about Victoria and what happened in that storage room?"

I proceeded to tell him about my conversation with Victoria. Then I stopped when I came to Tanya and her obsession with Edward. I contemplated if what I was about to say was out of my anger towards him or if he was really part of it all. I had no real proof Edward did anything illegal, only hearsay.

"Bella, do you need a break?" Jasper asked.

"I'm thinking about something," I sighed; I knew I had to tell him. "Tanya kept talking about Edward ... how he was supposed to be the one to bring me there and how he"—I paused to take a deep breath—"befriended me just to get back at Emmett."

Jasper didn't seem surprised, in fact, the look on his face told me he already knew. It reminded me that he and Edward had supposedly been friends. And the police did get there awfully fast. Was Edward working with Jasper…or James?

"Is Edward working with you?" I asked skeptically.

Jasper glanced at me in surprise. "I have no idea why you would think that. We will be talking to Mr. Cullen about his involvement, and that is all I can tell you."

I started to protest, but Jasper subtly shook his head at me.

"That concludes all the questions I have at the moment. We will be in contact if I have more." He shut off the recorder.

"My off the recorded advice is to talk with Edward," Jasper said quietly.

"I hate shadiness," I told him.

He nodded his head as he gathered his things in a pile. "I can't say I blame you. But it is best to get it from the horse's mouth. Just go easy on him."

"Will I be testifying in court?" I asked.

"There is a good chance. I will be passing on what you told me about James' involvement in your mother's death to the officer who was on her case in Jacksonville. He can't be prosecuted here for that crime," Jasper answered. "Here's my card; if you think of anything else I should know or if you have any questions."

"Thank you." I reached out to take it from him.

"Thank you. We've been waiting to bust James for a while." Jasper grinned.

He was barely out of the room before Alice came flying in and wrapped me in a hug.

"Thank God, you're okay. I've been so worried." Her grip tightened around me.

"Ali, I love you, but I can't breathe," I told her.

"Sorry." Her hold loosened, and as she looked at me, her gaze became murderous. Her finger hovered just above my cheek. "Who hit you? I'll kill them."

"That's probably not something you should yell out in a police station." I smirked.

"Right. How can you joke at a time like this?" she asked.

"Trust me. Nothing about this is humorous. I just want to get out of here," I told her.

"Of course. Daddy is already on a plane heading out here. Don't worry; he'll make sure the book is thrown at them. Let's get back to the Cullen's." She linked her arm through mine.

"Actually, Alice, I think we should get a hotel here in Port Angeles," I told her.

She froze and gave me a questioning look. I knew she wanted answers, but she could tell now wasn't the time. She simply nodded and continued to guide me to the door.

"Okay. No problem. That's why I have an emergency credit card. We might need to stop somewhere for some overnight things…crap…is anything open this late?" she wondered out loud.

"Hey, Edward, are there any stores open?" Alice asked.

I followed her gaze to the doorway and stopped in my tracks. Edward blocked the way out, looking disheveled, his hair sticking out in all directions. He met my eyes, and all I saw reflected in them was guilt.

"Hello, Edward, did you hear me?" Alice asked impatiently.

"What?" He glanced away from me to her.

"Alice, can you give us a moment?" I asked.

"Sure. I'll go bug Jasper." She sounded unsure as she stepped around Edward.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said.

"I am far from okay," I scoffed. "I only have one question for you. Were you using me to get back at Emmett?" I asked angrily.

"It's more complicated than that," he said.

"Yes or no," I demanded.

"Yes," he admitted.

My hand rose to slap him, and he braced himself. I caught myself just before I could swing, and I dropped my arm to my side. I couldn't believe I almost hit him.

"Then we are done here." I tried to go around him.

"Please let me explain." He reached for my hand, and I pulled away before he could touch me.

"What is there to explain? How am I supposed to be able to believe anything you say? You've been lying to me since the very beginning," I asked incredulously.

"Just hear me out. I won't ask you to forgive me, just listen," he insisted.

"You have five minutes," I said.

"I thought when you first got here, you hated Emmett as much as I did. I was telling James about how you were forced to come. He talked me into getting close to you to get back at Emmett, said Emmett would be so pissed to find out I aligned with his sister against him. It was stupid, petty…childish. You name it," he started.

"I never hated Emmett," I stated.

"I know. I quickly figured that out. You have a big heart, and you're selfless. I realized how wrong I was early on. When I kissed you in the garage, it was never in my plans to take it that far, but it was so easy and felt so right. I knew I had fallen for you, and it had all started with lies. I felt overwhelmingly guilty that you'd hate me if you found out the truth."

"You should have, you had plenty of opportunities to tell me. I can't believe I defended you to Emmett for _allegedly_ being around James. Did you know it was James who killed my mother and tried to rape me?" I demanded angrily.

Edward paled and looked shocked. "No. I didn't have a clue—I swear it. I knew he was pissed at losing a very large bet on a game. I've been working with Jasper ever since I was caught racing. The other part of my plea deal was to work undercover with him to bust James. I heard rumors that James fucked with Emmett's breaks, but we had no proof. When James started asking me to bring you around, I got a bad feeling and refused to do it. I had no clue he would want to use you as ransom. It was just my gut feeling to keep you from him."

"Is that why you've been desperately trying to make me go back to Florida?" I asked.

"Yes," he admitted.

"Why not tell me what was going on?" I asked.

"I couldn't. My hands were tied. The police were so close to nailing James. Jasper told me to do all I had to convince you to leave, without telling you the details. That's why I insisted on going shopping with you. Victoria showed up at the hospital, and told me to bring you by, and I told her, no. When you disappeared at the movie theater, I had never been more scared in my life. Thank God, Tanya was stupid enough to tell me where James was keeping you or we might not have gotten to you in time," he explained.

I closed my eyes briefly. "I honestly don't know what to say. Thank you for finding where I was. But I can't trust you anymore, and I don't know if that will ever be able to be repaired."

"I am sorry for everything." His eyes beseeched me.

"You have to let go of your hatred with Emmett. What he did was horrible, and I'm not excusing him. But for you to react this way is unacceptable too. I hope you consider getting some help, so it doesn't consume you," I said.

"This sounds like good-bye," Edward said softly.

"I guess it is. You're getting what you wish for. I'm going to go back to Florida," I told him.

"This isn't what I wished for. I wish the circumstances were different…that we could have met in another way. I wish we could have had a real relationship. I really do care for you, Bella," he said pleadingly.

"I wish I could believe you, but I can't. I should go." I tried to step around him, but his fingers brushed my arm as I went past.

"I really am sorry," he whispered.

I nodded my head. What else was I supposed to say? I wasn't ready to forgive him. It would take time. True, he did help rescue me in the end, but it didn't negate everything else.

Alice stood in the hallway down a ways from the room. She was talking on her phone and holding two black bundles. She thanked whoever she was talking to and ended the call.

"Okay, hotel room is all set. I went by Jasper's recommendation to make sure it was a good location. He said an officer is going to be posted nearby to be on the safe side. He also gave me a couple of D.A.R.E. shirts to wear for pajamas. He said the only store open this late is Walmart but suggested it was better to wait until morning. Thank goodness I always carry a toothbrush and toothpaste with me. Can you think of anything else we might need?"

"No. Let's just go." I suddenly felt very tired.

"Okay. Oh, I texted my dad to meet us at the hotel," Alice explained, and then stopped short. "Speaking of fathers…yours is here. Did you call him?"

"No, why would I?" I spotted him across the room…in uniform.

"Jasper…" Alice caught his attention, and he came over.

"Yes…is there a problem?" he asked.

"Why is Charlie Swan here?" Alice questioned.

Jasper looked over his shoulder at Charlie. "He's insisted on being a part of the investigation into Emmett's tampered brake lines. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much more than that at the moment."

"Can you tell me if he's been here for the past week?" I asked.

Jasper nodded. "He's stopped in at least once a day since he was released from the hospital."

I waited for the feeling of disappointment to take over, but it never came. Instead, I felt nothing.

"Thanks, Jasper. Come on, Bella, let's go." Alice guided me to the door.

Once we were outside, she released her anger. "I knew it sounded too good to be true. I never heard of a rehabilitation center to help someone be a better parent. Therapy sessions…sure…but having to go away sounded fishy."

"Alice, stop. I don't care. I'm done. I can't even get upset anymore or even fake being surprised. All I want to do is take a shower and go to bed," I told her.

"Okay," she relented. "But at some point, we still have to talk about what happened."

"I know, and we will. Just give me a chance to process everything, I'm just too overwhelmed at the moment," I promised her.

"Let's look on the bright side; things can only get better from here, right?" she suggested with some cheerfulness.

"I certainly hope so," I agreed.

**A/N: It will be interesting to see what you think of Edward now. He was shady, however, not completely bad. I know there's some more questions like what about Tanya. She was really the furthest from Bella's mind at the moment so that's why she didn't ask about her. Just in case I confused anyone, this isn't a mob story, James is just a criminal. **

**Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with me. **


	19. Chapter 18

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch 18**

I took a long hot shower, knowing the moment I stepped out of the bathroom Alice would want to talk. I knew she only meant well and deserved to know what happened, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

Alice was just paying the delivery man at the door when I exited the bathroom. She placed the pizza box on top of the dresser and turned to me.

"I ordered some food; a pizza place was the only thing open this late. Man, I miss the city," she commented.

"Pizza is fine. I'm not really hungry anyway," I said.

"You need to eat to keep your energy up." Alice placed a slice on a plate and handed it to me.

I sat cross-legged on the bed and picked an olive off the top. Alice mirrored my position and took a large bite out of hers. There were a few moments of peaceful silence, and I started to think she was going to let it go for the night. She cleared her throat and brushed the crumbs off her hands then looked at me expectantly.

"So…" she prompted.

"A needle pulling thread," I said.

She raised one eyebrow at me and said nothing.

"Where do you want me to start?" I gave in.

"Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start." She smirked, throwing another line from the same musical back at me. "Now, unless you want to start dancing around the room, singing about kittens and mittens and turn the drapes into an ugly set of clothes, I suggest you spill."

"Fine. When I went into the bathroom at the movie theatre, I was confronted by Victoria. She held a gun on me and ordered me to go with her. She said if I didn't, there was someone in Emmett's room who would take care of him," I told her.

Alice shook her head. "He was fine, though. As soon as we knew you were taken, an officer was sent to check on him."

"Yeah, I know that now, but not then. Anyway, when I got to the car, I saw someone I thought was dead," I whispered, losing what little appetite I had.

"Who?" Alice appeared frustrated, it wasn't often she wasn't in the know.

"The guy who killed Mom and tried to hurt me," I told her.

"But I thought…how?" Alice was confused.

"He killed one of his associates and then framed him," I explained.

"So he came all the way to Washington to finish the job? Crap…sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound so cold." She grimaced.

I shook my head. "No, he was always in Washington."

I went on to tell her the whole story. I only hesitated before explaining Edward's part in it all. Alice appeared to be speechless for the first time, never interrupting me.

"So, I guess this where you get to tell me, I told you so?" I said.

"Why would I?" Alice asked.

"I never should have come to Forks. I should have handled everything by phone in Florida," I stated.

She played absentmindedly with her pizza crust and shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you that, but there is just one thing I don't get."

"Which is?" I asked

"The way Edward looks at you and the way he freaked out when you didn't come back from the bathroom. I honestly thought he was in love with you. If he was only acting, then the guy deserves an Oscar," she commented.

"He never hid his anger about Emmett. I was foolish to think I could have something with Edward despite it," I said bitterly.

"Well maybe it started that way, but it changed when he got to know you better. Not that I'm excusing it. But the way you explained it, seems as if he hoped to have a cohort against Emmett. It doesn't sound like he was in cahoots with James," Alice reasoned.

"Whose side are you on?" I asked.

She gave me a smile. "Yours always. But it's also my job as a friend to make sure you're seeing all sides of the box. You'd do the same for me. You tethered me back down to the ground more than once."

"So you're saying I should forgive Edward?" I said.

Alice shook her head. "No, honey, I'm not saying that either. What he did was jerky. And you're right; he had chances where he could have come clean. Just make sure you're blaming him for what he did and not for what James did. Edward isn't responsible for your mom's death. If he was working with the police, you know as much as I do that even if he wanted to tell you his hands were tied," she reasoned.

"I know…and I know it was him who acted quickly to find out where they took me. I might still be there if Tanya wasn't dumb enough to tell him. I am grateful for that, I just can't let go of the hurt," I confessed.

"It will take time," Alice agreed.

There was a knock on the door, and Alice perked up and bounced off the bed. She hurried to it, but was too short to see out the spyhole. She started jumping up and down like a puppy, and I cracked a smile watching her.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's your father, open up," Phil answered.

I grinned and slid off the bed to greet him. Alice's smile grew, and she held up her hand to me.

"How do I know you're my father?" she asked playfully.

"Well, I guess I could cancel your credit cards, and you can find some other bloke to support your spending habits," he retorted.

Alice's eyes grew big, and she yanked opened the door. Phil was standing on the other side with a couple of bags, looking tired but smirking.

"You wouldn't." Alice pouted.

"No, but that trick has worked on you since you could say 'Charge it!' I never should have let you watch the _Flintstones._" He chuckled.

"Haha." Alice rolled her eyes and then hugged him.

"Hi, Phil." I hugged him, and he gave me an extra little squeeze.

"Hey, sweetheart, I've missed you. I'm sorry you had such a crappy birthday, but I'm glad you're safe."

"The ending sucked, but it didn't start out too bad," I said.

"Per request, I found a convenience store around the corner that was still open, and they had some ice cream." He held up a plastic bag. "Bella gets to chose first, and I didn't get the Buzz Buzz whatever, I figured Ali has had enough caffeine today." He winked at her.

I chose Cherry Garcia and handed Alice the Fudge Brownie. We settled back on the bed while Phil sat in a chair. He shrugged out of his jacket and pulled his iPad out of his bag.

"Okay, first things first. I want to know who the officer in charge of the case is. I want to meet with him in the morning," he asked.

"It's Jasper Whitlock, and I don't know if he's an officer or a detective. I have his card." I looked around for my purse.

"I have one right here." Alice grabbed hers off the nightstand.

Phil looked at it and frowned. "What type of officer draws hearts all over his cards?"

"Umm…" Alice turned bright red. "I did that," she confessed.

She shrugged when her father gave her a look. "What, he's cute."

"How old is this man?" Phil continued to frown.

"I don't know. Up until tonight, I thought he was an eighteen-year-old, high school dropout." Alice shrugged.

"That makes me feel so much better," Phil said dryly. "He shouldn't be hitting on young, impressionable girls, undercover or not."

"He hasn't." Alice shook her head wildly. "If anything, I was flirting with him. I thought he was playing hard to get. I swear he hasn't done anything."

"He's only been polite and nice," I confirmed.

"Good. Now, I'm sorry to make you go through this again, but I want to know your version of things before I head to the station. If you'd prefer to wait until morning, we can do that too," Phil said sincerely.

"Now is fine," I told him.

It was easier to go through the events of the day the second time. Phil made notes and only paused when I mentioned Mom. When we were finished, he pushed his iPad away and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Well, thankfully, the worst is over." He sighed, rubbing his face.

"Let's try to get some sleep. I'll take you girls to breakfast before I make a stop at the station. I'll have to wait until Monday to visit the Bar Association to make sure I get licensed to act as a lawyer here if necessary," he said.

"What about Vickie?" I asked.

He paused momentarily. "If she's ready to testify against James, then I'll make good on your word and make sure she is represented by me, or I'll find someone who's good that will."

"Thank you," I said gratefully.

"Enough heavy talk for tonight, the rest can wait for the morning. Ali, you picked up my room key?" he asked.

"Yup, it's an adjoining room. I already opened your connecting door, so you can go right in. I set the A/C to how you like it and closed the blinds." Alice handed him the card key.

"Thank you, sweetie. You two get a good night's sleep." He kissed the top of both our heads before heading to his room.

**S**

In the morning, after breakfast, Alice and I headed back to Forks. She was going to collect our things while I visited with Emmett. I wasn't sure how to tell him I was leaving. I hadn't planned on telling him about yesterday, I didn't want to worry him, but Phil pointed out that Emmett would find out one way or another and it would better from me. Phil also wanted me to suggest to Em that he could come to Florida with us. Jacksonville would have better rehab centers for injuries than Forks. I doubted Emmett would take him up on the offer.

Emmett was in a bad mood when I got to the hospital. I noticed the T.V. wasn't on, but he was staring at the blank screen. He turned his head when I walked into the room.

"It's about time you showed up," he said grumpily.

"Excuse me? I didn't give you a time when I would be here." I immediately got on the defensive.

"Whatever. While you were off having a grand time for our birthday, I was stuck in this bed alone. Rose was forced into a double shift, and I found out I have no real friends in this fucking town. It seems since I can't play anymore, I'm not worth more than shit. Did you know they had a fucking memorial for me like I was dead? How screwed up is that?" he ranted.

My anger waned; he every right to be upset at them. I suspected for a while now that he was going to find out who his real friends were, and it wouldn't be very many. My heart went out to him because he wasn't to blame for this any more than I was.

"It was very screwed up. I think Rose and Edward were the only ones not wearing black from what I saw," I told him, taking a seat by the window.

"Well, at least one good thing came out of all this. I'm sure Edward told you how we talked the other night and came to a truce. I don't think the two of us will ever be friends. But I didn't ever want our past to put you in the middle again. You deserve to be happy," Emmett said sincerely.

I was taken aback and touched by him trying—too bad it was for nothing. "I didn't know. He didn't tell me."

Emmett's face grew concerned, then angry as he noticed my bruise that Alice had a hard time concealing. "What's happened to your face, did Edward hit you?"

"No. It wasn't him, I swear." I shook my head. "My birthday wasn't any better than yours. I have something to tell you, and you're not going to like it. But I need you to listen to me without interrupting."

Telling Emmett ended up being harder than telling Alice and Phil. I couldn't look him in the eyes as I told my story. I had just gotten to the part about Charlie being at the police station when the devil himself walked into the room.

"Emmett, you're looking better, glad to see you're finally awake. How are you feeling," Charlie asked.

"I'm all right." He looked between us.

"Glad to hear it. Have they started rehab yet?" Charlie asked.

"A little, today is an off day since it's Sunday. Aren't you going to ask Bella how she is?" Emmett asked curiously.

Charlie looked over at me. "Yesterday was crazy, wasn't it?"

"Crazy? Are you kidding me? I thought you left to get counseling on how to be a better parent or something like that. Did you even go?" I questioned.

"I needed a cover story to explain my disappearance. I also needed you to stick around," Charlie stated.

I stared at him blankly. Did he just imply that I was used as…

"You used Bella as bait?" Emmett snapped, getting upset.

"Calm down, she was never in any real danger. James needed her alive if he wanted to collect the ransom," Charlie explained.

"What the fuck? The guy killed Mom, and you thought you'd just roll the dice on Bella, even though he tried to rape her?" Emmett demanded, slamming his good hand down on the mattress.

"Watch your language; I'm still your father. I don't know where or when the two of you thought it was suddenly okay to speak to me this way. But we didn't know until after his capture that he was responsible for Renée's death. We thought it was one of his associates," Charlie explained.

"Get out!" Emmett bellowed, making me jump.

"Now see here," Charlie started, getting angry.

"No, you see here. It is not okay that you used Bella as bait like that. You call yourself her father, but you've done jack to protect her—so I will. Get out and don't come back." Emmett seethed; his whole body was shaking with rage.

"What is going on in here?" Irina, the charge nurse, asked as she came into the room.

"He needs to leave." Emmett pointed at Dad, who was looking back at him in shock.

"Chief Swan, I'm going to have to ask you to go," Irina said nervously.

Charlie nodded and opened his mouth to say something.

"Save it, neither one of us wants to hear it," Emmett said bitterly.

Charlie cast a glance at me, but I turned my head to stare at the balloons in the corner.

"He's gone," Emmett said quietly.

"Does anyone want to explain what's going?" Irina asked.

"The problem left, let's leave it at that. Would it be too much to ask if you could get Bella some water or something, please?" Emmett asked calmly.

Irina glanced at me, and then nodded. "I can do that. When I get back, I'm taking your pulse…maybe both of yours. Bella, do you need anything else, you're looking very pale."

"I'm fine. Thank you," I told her.

Emmett was still pink in the face and shaking slightly. The fist of his good hand kept clenching and unclenching.

"Emmett, you need to calm down, or they'll sedate you." I placed my hand over his.

He looked at me incredulously. "Why aren't you more upset?"

"Because I'm not surprised," I told him.

"That's just messed up." Emmett shook his head. "I've been a horrible brother."

"Em…"

"Don't, Bella. I know I have; I believed Dad's lies. He said Mom's illness was fake, and I thought for the longest time she was what broke up our family. I asked Dr. C about Seasonal Depression, and he said it was a real condition. I realize now that you both left because it was for your own good. I think you should go back to Florida with Alice. You're happier there."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'll find a way to manage." He shrugged.

"Phil offered for you to come with us. The rehab centers are better there; you'd be more than welcome to stay with me. Rose can visit any time," I suggested him.

"A fresh start doesn't sound half bad, right now. Can I think about it?" he asked after a moment.

"Of course." I agreed. "The offer will always be open."

**A/N: I think a huge contrast between Phil and Charlie should be able to be seen in this chapter. I hope Emmett has gained back some of your opinions too. Note he wasn't really upset with Bella, he was crabby because he had been abandoned on his birthday. **

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.**


	20. Chapter 19

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 19**

**EPOV**

I sat on the floor of the garage staring at my bike with a cigarette dangling from my hand. Occasionally, the sounds of laughter floated out of the house, reaching me. My mother had the book club over, but that wasn't what was keeping me in here. It was the fact that Bella was there as well, and I figured I was the last person she wanted to see. My mother had asked her days ago, before all this shit went down, to talk to the group. I wasn't surprised that Bella chose to honor her promise despite what I put her through.

I never forgot when I last saw her in the back of her father's cruiser so many years ago. The disappointed look on her face made me feel rotten and guilty, knowing I was to blame for her not getting her treat. It wasn't hard to figure out she had told Charlie about James when my father questioned me about it. It pretty much got me off the hook for what I did. Mr. Hooper had been upset, but after some tears and pleading from my mother, he relented. Especially when they paid for the candy bar with the promise I wouldn't be allowed to hang around with James again.

I never had a chance to thank Bella because she left—instead, I got Emmett. At first, I was leery of him, and in hindsight, I should have trusted my gut. Years later, I almost made the same mistake but was smarter. He approached me again a few days ago, wanting to call a truce for Bella's sake. I had to admit I was still skeptical since it was the first time he remotely seemed to care about her. But even more so, I felt guilty inside.

Bella had turned my life upside down since she arrived back in Forks. As soon as I looked into her brown eyes as they lit up when she called me Teddy—I felt attracted to her, and I hated it. She was Emmett's sister, and I wanted nothing to do with her family. It was James who talked me into getting close to her. He whispered in my ear how Emmett would hate it if Bella and I were together. At that time, I didn't know James had ulterior motives…And ... I didn't realize Bella still cared about Emmett even though she resented him.

If I had known James' plans, I would have stayed far away from Bella to protect her. By the time I realized he was too interested in her, I was in over my head. I immediately went to Jasper with my suspicions. He strongly suggested I should try to convince Bella to go back to Florida. I sensed more was wrong, but Jasper refused to tell me anything except that James was being investigated for the damaged brake lines on Emmett's car, and I couldn't say anything to Bella about the case.

"You know cigarettes are bad for your health." My thoughts were interrupted.

I turned my head to face Alice. "It's not even lit. What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm looking for a flame thrower or sledgehammer to maim you with." She crossed her arms in front of her.

"There's a whole selection of tools over there on the rack. Although, I don't believe we own a flamethrower, but you can take your pick." I nodded to the wall of shelves.

Alice kept staring, then she cocked her head to the side and scrutinized me further. She clucked her tongue then walked over to the shelf. I watched, not sure if I should be worried or not. She stopped and sat down on an overturned crate.

"Do you love her?" she asked.

"That's a little personal, don't you think?" I answered.

"Probably, but I don't really give a shit if it is. Bella is not only my best friend but practically my sister. I'm going to protect her from _anyone_ who will hurt her, so if it means crossing the line, then so be it. Lord knows, it won't be her father, and Emmett isn't in any condition to at the moment, which you should probably count your blessing about, because he's the type to hit first ask questions later." She spoke rapidly. "So?" She waved her hand dramatically.

"I don't know," I told her. "I care for Bella a lot more than I thought I would. I never wanted to hurt her, only Emmett."

Alice responded with an unladylike snort and shook her head.

"I'm telling you the truth," I told her.

"Oh, I believe you. If you were lying, you would have told me simply that you did or didn't. So are you going to fight for her?" Alice asked.

"She isn't in any danger?" I said, confused.

"Boys." Alice rolled her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be smart. I meant, are you going to work for her forgiveness and for a second chance?"

"Should I? Do you think I would stand a chance for her to forgive me?" I asked back.

"Forget it. If I have to answer that for you, thenyou don't love her." Alice shook her head and stood. "Two more questions, then I will leave you to"—she gestured to the bike—"whatever it was that you were doing. Is Tanya your real girlfriend?"

"Hell no." I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "She's like the town bicycle, and I never had the interest, which unfortunately only piqued hers. I used her to my advantage because I wanted the police to get to Bella before she was hurt," I swore.

She watched me carefully. "Good answer. Did you know the police, or more importantly, that Charlie was using Bella as bait?"

My insides froze, and I crushed the cigarette in my hand. "What? Jasper told me to convince her to leave Forks as quickly as possible without telling her what was going on. Her father was using her as bait to the guy that tried to rape her once already?" I bellowed.

"Alice," Bella called, standing in the doorway, staring at her friend with one eyebrow raised. She was dressed nicely in a skirt and thin sweater, but she looked exhausted. I wondered if her nightmares had returned.

Alice's cheeks turned pink, but she didn't look sorry to be caught. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. I don't need to ask what you're doing here, do I?" Bella smirked.

"Sorry, not sorry." Alice shrugged. "Are you ready to go?"

"In a few minutes, I want to talk to Edward first," she said.

"Okay." Alice sat back down on the crate.

"There are cupcakes in the kitchen, and I can't believe I'm saying this to you, but coffee, too," Bella told her.

"In other words, Alice get out so I can talk to Edward." Alice frowned then stood updramatically, walking to the door. She turned around just before leaving.

"I'm watching you." She pointed to her eyes then to me as she took a step back. It probably would've been more effective if she didn't hit the doorframe. I coughed to cover a laugh.

"I meant to do that." Alice appeared flustered, then left.

"Your father was using you as bait?" I asked before Bella could talk.

"Please, don't give that man the privilege of calling him, _my father_. But yes, he did. Apparently, he disappeared on purpose so I would stay to take care of Emmett," she answered.

"I had no idea," I promised her.

"I gathered that from your reaction. I wanted to ask you something, though. After what James did when we were younger, why were you still friends with him? Emmett tried to warn me about your involvement, but I ignored him. I didn't believe you were selling drugs," she asked.

"I never sold drugs for James, I only drove in races. I loved the thrill I got from racing; it was a nice break from being the school _nerd_. There was backlash for not _helping_ Emmett. Since he was the most popular kid at school, and I refused him, I ended up ostracized. I thought I could trust James since I knew what he was about. He didn't pressure me to sell for him, and he didn't beat me up. Instead, he taught me a thing or two about holding my own against jerks like Mike. It helped that James didn't like Emmett or your father since Chief Swan was the reason he was expelled from Forks. I didn't know how deep his hatred ran or that he'd involve you until it was too late," I explained. "I'm so sorry that I went along with it."

She wrung her hands. "I had a long talk with Alice about everything. She told me to make sure I was mad at you for what you did and didn't blame you for what Charlie or James did. So, I think I owe you a bit of apology too," she confessed.

"For what, you haven't done anything?" I said.

"That's not entirely true. It was wrong of me to get upset at you for using me to get at Emmett when I'm guilty of the same thing. When I first got here, I was attracted to you, but I planned to stay away since I was going back to Florida. However, when I found out how much Charlie and Emmett didn't like you, it made you more attractive in my opinion. For once, it was nice to have someone in Forks who wanted me for me, and not because I was _Emmett's _sister. I agreed to go to the races was because I knew Charlie would be pissed off if he knew. So I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

I sat back on my heels and processed her words. "Your apology isn't necessary, I knew why you decided to go to the races, you didn't hide that fact. It's also why I suggested it in the first place. Besides, you wanting to be around me to piss off Emmett and Charlie was exactly what I was going for, so I only have myself to blame not you," I told her.

"It still wasn't right," she insisted.

"Fine, I forgive you," I said then hesitated. "Does this mean you forgive me?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm getting there, but I'm having a hard time trusting anyone right now. Why didn't you tell me Emmett called a truce?" She played with a strand of her hair.

"Because I didn't trust him to hold to it." I sighed heavily. "But I'm going to take your advice and see someone to help me work through those issues."

"I'm glad. I'm going to go see mine when we arrive back in Florida and get Emmett settled," she told me.

"Emmett is going to Florida?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes. He wants nothing to do with Charlie after he tried to use me as bait. Emmett flipped his lid and reamed him out. He said if Charlie wasn't going to protect me, then he was." She seemed hopeful for a moment. "Of course, there's also the point that Jacksonville has better rehabilitation centers to hopefully get Emmett back to where he was, physically." She bit her lip.

"If it were just the rehabs, he could go to Seattle," I pointed out.

"True." She nodded in agreement.

I stood and headed over to her. She looked up at me nervously but didn't shy away. I really wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her, but I knew she wouldn't want that.

I offered her my hand, instead. "I'm happy you're getting what you want, and you and Emmett can repair your relationship. Maybe if we ever come across each other again, we can start new and be friends," I suggested.

She looked at me for a moment, then nodded shyly before joining our hands together. "Maybe. Take care of yourself, Edward."

"You too," I said, reluctantly letting go of her.

Bella turned and headed out of the garage. I followed her as far as the doorway and leaned against the frame. I watched her as she tried to rush through the yard to the house. She slid on the wet grass but kept her footing. I couldn't help but chuckle, and she turned her head and stared at me as if she could sense I was watching. When our eyes met, it hit me, and I knew the answer to Alice's question.

I was in love with Bella. I hit my head against the door as I watched her disappear into the house.

Unfortunately, I was still clueless about how to fight for her.

**A/N: Finally a look into Edward's mind, remember he is only seventeen he wasn't going to be perfect. As you can see we are close to the end. **

**Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with me.**


	21. Chapter 20

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Ch. 20**

I dug my toes into the warm sand and placed my notebook down to look at the ocean. I just finished my outline for my third book. When we arrived back in Florida, I threw myself into my second story and finished it before Halloween. I finished the revisions before Thanksgiving, and the book hit the shelves last week and was doing well. I was scheduled to start my first book tour in January. I received notification yesterday the trial was also in January, which meant one of my stops would be in Seattle.

"Time?" Emmett asked as he ran up to the blanket and stopped. He pulled the shirt out of his pant waist and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Same as yesterday." Alice glanced at the stopwatch.

"Fuck," he mumbled under his breath.

"Em…" I started.

"Don't. I'm tired of people telling me it takes time. I've never worked harder in my life, and I feel as if I'm not getting anywhere. And I'm sick of this stupid brace," he complained.

"Are you done acting like a two-year-old?" Alice asked, lowering her sunglass to give him a pointed look.

Emmett took a deep breath and gave her a sheepish smile. "Yeah."

"Feel better?" She smirked.

"Actually, yes," he admitted. "Sorry for snapping at you, Bella."

"I wasn't going to tell you it takes time. I was going to say watch your language, there's a ton of kids around." I shook my head.

"Oh…" He glanced around at all the families that were on the beach. "My bad."

"Tsk…tsk…looks like you're now on Santa's naughty list," Alice teased.

"Whatever, Miss Elf, I'm sure you had a hand in it," Emmett said with a chuckle.

"Me…I'm always on the good list." She touched her chest and gave her best angelic smile.

"Whatever…speaking of elves, why are you buried in blankets like you're at the North Pole rather than sunny Florida," he asked.

"I'm cold," she insisted, pulling the blanket tighter.

"It's seventy degrees, wimp," Emmett teased her then looked behind us. "Although, you're not the craziest one here. Bells, your boyfriend is here, and he looks ridiculous wearing a leather jacket on the beach."

I whipped my head around, looking for a tall figure with bronze locks shining in the sun. My heart sank when I spotted Riley. I turned around to find Alice staring at me with her eyebrows risen above her sunglasses.

"He's not my boyfriend. Why can't you be like other brothers and scare guys away from their sisters?" I grumbled.

"You want me to scare him?" An evil grin spread on Emmett's face.

Alice broke her stare and snorted. "Good luck. Riley is pretty dense."

"Hey, beautiful Bella. Lol. That's kinda redundant, isn't it? Lol." Riley laughed at his own joke.

"Um…sure," I answered.

"I don't," Emmett commented, crossing his arms over his chest. "Kinda lame if you ask me."

Riley laughed uncomfortably. "You're Bella's brother, right. Twins…yeah, I still don't get it. You look nothing alike. Lol."

"Well, maybe if I grew my hair out." Emmett ran his hand through imaginary locks. "Or, Bells could always shave her head. Then maybe you would see it."

Riley looked between us. "Ahh…yeah. How's the leg…a car accident, right? That must have sucked. Lol."

Emmett's smirk hardened. "It was worth it, and I'd do it again. See this guy couldn't take the hint that Bella didn't like him. He got too persistent, so I ran him over and then backed up and ran over him again, however, that time I hit the gas too hard and went off the road and hit a tree. But at least that guy he won't be bothering Bella anymore."

Riley visibly paled and took a backward step from Emmett. "Ahh…"

Emmett barked a loud laugh. "I'm just messing with you. Lol." He slapped Riley hard on the shoulder, making him stumble. "But a brother can dream, right?" Emmett waited a beat before laughing and slapping Riley's shoulder for the second time. "Just playing with you again. Lol."

"I just realized I forgot to…" Riley was backing away fast and fell over Alice's cooler, landing on his butt in the sand. He quickly got up. "This thing for my mom. Lol." He scurried off, sending sand flying in his wake.

Alice started laughing. "That was awesome, did you see his face?"

"Thanks, Em." I grinned.

"I told you I could scare him off. Does that guy say lol after everything?" Emmett beamed.

"We shall see if it lasts. And yes, he does." Alice stood. "Can we go now, please?"

"I'm ready, I want to do some laps in the pool," Emmett agreed.

"You're crazy." Alice rolled her eyes.

I got to my feet, folded the blanket, and grabbed my notebook. Emmett led the way through the sand, carrying the cooler, and Alice hung back and linked her arm through mine.

"So who were you hoping for?" Alice asked.

"What are you talking about?" I didn't look at her.

"Nice try. You know what or whom. Were you looking for a certain six-foot redhead?" She was watching me.

"It's bronze. I mean…" I realized I fell into her trap.

"It's been three months," she commented quietly. "Do you still talk to him?"

"We've texted a few times," I admitted.

"And?" she prompted.

"And what?"

"You miss him," she stated.

"Alice, stop. I know what you're trying to do. Even if nothing happened, he is still in Washington, and I'm in Florida. We couldn't be farther apart." I came to a stop by the car.

"Alaska and Puerto Rico," Emmett said, catching the end of our conversation.

"Puerto Rico isn't a state," Alice told him.

"But they are the furthest two points of U.S. territories, right?" Emmett asked. "Why are we even talking about geography anyway?"

"In case Bella is ever asked on a celebrity trivia show," Alive covered for me.

"Oh…I can quiz you on sports," Emmett offered.

"If something like that ever comes up, I'll take you up on your offer," I told him.

**S**

I was working on the first chapter of my new book when Emmett came into the pool house.

"Hey, I'm going to grill for dinner, do you want chicken or steak?" he asked.

"I'm fine with either." I looked up from the screen.

"Steak it is then," he decided.

I went back to writing and got a few more sentences in before I heard the shuffling of feet and clearing of a throat. I glanced up to see Emmett still standing in the doorway, looking unsure.

"Was there something else?" I asked.

"Dad contacted me, and he wanted to know if we were going to come back for Christmas," he said.

"We?" I scoffed.

"Ah…well."

"Em, if you want to go, you can, but I'm staying here," I told him. "He hasn't once tried to contact me, and we both know the offer wasn't really extended to me."

"Then I won't go. Maybe a Christmas alone will finally wake him up," Emmett said. He hadn't given up hope that Charlie could change.

"I wouldn't hold your breath, I stand a better chance of Riley giving up," I told him.

"Why did you keep Riley's flowers if you don't like him." Emmett pointed to a vase by my desk.

"Those weren't from him," I said, glad I had removed the card.

"Maybe I should send Rose flowers. Is it too cheesy to send her roses?" he asked.

"All depends if it's her favorite flower or not. Mixes are nice if you're not sure," I advised, looking at my own combination.

"So who sent…"

"Emmett, how about portabella mushrooms?" Alice hollered from outside on the patio.

"I am not cooking fungus, that's just nasty." Emmett went out the door, leaving me laughing and relieved.

He popped his head back in a moment later. "Would you mind looking over a paper for me tonight?"

"I can do that," I agreed.

"Great, Garrett said to make sure you mark errors but not to fix them for me," he explained his tutor's instructions to me.

"I will," I promised.

"Thanks." His phone rang, and his smile grew as he answered it. "Hey, Rosie."

When he left, I glanced at the flowers once more. They were actually the third ones I'd received after arriving home. The first came shortly after we came back. I was surprised to see they were from Edward, apologizing once again. I sent him a text thanking him, and we had been texting back and forth since then.

Soon after, he started invading my thoughts and dreams. I had forgiven him for trying to use me. In fact, I had the moment it struck me that I had unconsciously used him too. I got why he did it, although I hated it. The feelings I had for him were still there, but I didn't know what to do about them. I was done with Forks and wasn't going back.

My phone beeped, and I glanced at the screen then giggled.

**E: I would like to thank you for not putting me in your book and killing me off.**

I wrote him back smiling.

**B: It's still early. I have another 2 books to go.**

**E: Duly noted. Have I mentioned how pretty you looked in your picture?**

**B: Awww, you're sweet. Just for that, I promise to kill you off quickly rather than slowly and painfully. **

**E: Ouch :p **

**B: No worries, you're at the bottom of my list. ; ) **

**E: Are you coming back to testify?**

**B: Yeah. I will be there the 6****th**** for a book signing, and then I'm supposed to be called to the stand on the 7****th**** if all goes as planned. I just hope it's not too drawn out. **

**E: Me too. I'll probably see you there. **

I paused before responding, I didn't think about seeing him at the trial. It only made sense that I would. Part of me was excited and the other part nervous.

**B: I'll see you then. Have a good Christmas, Teddy.**

**E: You too, Betty. **

**S**

The holiday flew by, and before I knew it, I was in Seattle. My hand was feeling cramped from all the signatures. I was surprised at the turnout of people coming to see me. The line had wrapped around the store, and I still had an hour left.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have one for my mother and one for myself," a familiar voice said as the books were placed in front of me.

I glanced up at Edward. "Hi, I didn't know you were going to be here," I said.

"I wanted to see you; I hope that's okay?" He seemed a bit hesitant.

"It's fine. It's good to see you. Are you ready for tomorrow?" I asked, opening the first book.

"As ready as I will ever be. I just can't wait for this whole thing to be over. You?" he asked.

"The same. Phil thinks it will be an open and shut case," I told him.

"That would be great. I was wondering … when you're done here if you'd like to go get something to eat?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I already have plans to meet Alice, Emmett, and Rose at The Cheesecake Factory. Would you like to join us?" I offered.

"Does Emmett want to kill me for what happened?" Edward asked.

"I thought you liked living dangerously," I teased.

"Dangerously…death wish, no." Edward smirked.

Before I could tell him Charlie was higher up on Emmett's shit list, his phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket to check. "It's Jasper, I have to take it."

As soon as he stepped away, another girl skipped up to the table and bounced in her spot.

"Oh. My. God. You're my biggest fan…no, shit…I'm your biggest fan. Will you sign my book?"

"Absolutely, who am I making it out to?" I asked.

"Maggie. Is that guy your boyfriend?" she asked, looking at Edward.

"He's just a friend," I told her.

"It's a shame. He's so cute." Maggie sighed dramatically. "I heard rumors that the series is going to become a movie. Is it true?" she asked.

"I have no plans on selling the rights at this time," I told her, sliding her book back to her.

"I can't wait for the next one. Thank you." She glanced at Edward and winked at me as he came hurrying over with a smile on his face.

"Excuse her for a moment, I promise she'll be right back," he told the next person in line as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my seat.

"Edward, stop. What are you doing?" I yanked my hand back as he came to a stop a few feet away from the crowd.

"Sorry, I lost myself for a moment. But it's over," he said triumphantly.

"What's over," I demanded, confused.

"There will be no trial. James is dead. Victoria shot him outside the courthouse an hour ago in front of several witnesses. She didn't resist arrest and is in custody," Edward explained, as he picked me up and swung me around.

I bit my lip, not sure if I preferred James dead or behind bars. At least, I knew he could never bother me anymore. But then, if anyone had more right than me to decide his fate it would be Victoria. The nightmares of him finding a way to get off were no longer a concern.

"Good riddance," I said with a smile, then hugged him.

He remained still at first then returned the hug. "We should celebrate."

"Well, my offer is still open. I promise to protect you from Emmett." I smirked.

"You don't need to protect me. I'm going to have to face him eventually." He took a deep breath and reached for my hand. "This is probably not the best place, but I want to try again. I know you haven't forgiven me completely, and you don't trust me, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. Somewhere in this crazy mess I had fallen in love with you. I'm willing to do what it takes. I'll move to Florida or wherever else you want to go for college. All you have to do is tell me you'll give me the slightest chance and I'll take it, and you won't regret it."

"Edward…" I was momentarily speechless. Looking into his eyes, I could see the sincerity and the nervousness as he waited for my response. "I have no idea where I'm going yet…but you're welcome to come."

**A/N: There in a better place then last chapter. We will have a future take next as we reached the end of this part of their journey. **

**Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with me. **


	22. Futuretake

**I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own. **

**Futuretake 12 years later**

I was a tad late when I got the game. I had one foot out the door when I had to run back in as morning sickness reared its ugly head.

I heaved the cooler out of the back and pulled it along on its wheels. I came to a stop next to Phil, who was sitting on the first row of the bleachers with Alec, my four-year-old, on his knee. Alice and her son were on the other side of him.

"Did I miss anything," I asked, worriedly.

"Do you see number ten on the other team?" Phil smirked and gestured with his head.

I looked across the field to the other team's bench. Number ten, their biggest player, was holding an ice pack to his leg and looked like he just rolled around in the mud.

"What happened?" I had a sinking feeling as I looked for my oldest nephew, who was out on the field. So I then looked for my eight-year-old and found her standing in front of her uncle, who was lecturing her.

"Apparently, our favorite little quarterback decided she wanted to play a tackle position instead." Phil chuckled.

"I guess the saying should be like uncle, like niece." Alice snickered.

"More like father, like daughter." I groaned.

I head toward them just as Emmett pointed to the bench. Emily pulled off her helmet, and her long braid hung loose. She pouted as she stomped her way over, taking a seat.

"I'm sorry. Do I need to take her home?" I apologized.

"Naw…I'll make her sit out for a quarter or so then let her have another shot. The punk had it coming anyway," Emmett said.

"That's no excuse. She knows there's no tackling at this level. Don't give her special treatment because she's your niece," I told him.

"I'm not. Which is why she's also on ball duty for the next week. To be fair, the kid was razzing her, saying she couldn't play because girls were too sissy. So she showed him how tough she really was." Emmett snickered.

I was torn between being proud of my daughter for standing up for herself and the fact that I should set a good example and punish her for hurting another kid.

"Don't worry, Bells, the kid's father is the other coach. Even he said, his son had it coming for goading her. The boy isn't hurt, just humiliated a girl, not even half his size, took him down like a stuffed animal. It was a pretty sweet tackle, and I hope Alice got it on tape," Emmett said, keeping his eyes on the field.

A giggle escaped me, imagining the scene, and I shook my head. The only thing about Emily that resembled me was my hair. Her intelligence could easily be from her father or me, but her athletic ability was all her uncle's. Her temper, unfortunately, was clearly all Edward's.

I looked over, and she was watching me with her big green eyes. "We will talk about this at home, young lady."

"Bells…" Emmett started.

"Don't, Bells, me. She has you and Edward wrapped around her finger. I'm glad she stood up for herself, but she can't handle her anger that way," I said softly.

"You're right.," he agreed with a small nod.

I felt a wave of nausea and closed my eyes. Emmett's arm came around my waist.

"Are you okay?" Emmett asked, concerned.

"Yeah. Morning sickness is really kicking my butt this time around," I told him.

"It wasn't this bad with the other two. Does this mean…" He figured it out.

"Yes, but we were waiting until tonight to tell everyone." I stopped him from saying it out loud.

"That's great…" He was interrupted by the whistle. "Sorry, I gotta…" He pointed to the field.

"Right." I pulled the cooler over to the bench.

Emily glanced at me. "Do we gotta tell Daddy?"

"Yes." I nodded. "But I think your uncle's punishment will be enough, so don't worry about it for now. Just go out there and beat the other team the _right_ way." I tweaked her braid.

She gave me a smile and started cheering on her team. I made my way back the bleachers. Alice slid over to give me some room and handed me a thermos.

"Ginger tea. No caffeine. I swear it works like a charm," she said.

"Thank you." I took a tiny sip then looked to Alice's other side.

"Hi, Peter."

"Hi, Auntie Bella." He didn't even look up from his book. All I could see was the top of his blond head.

"Peter, we are here to root for your cousins' team and to watch the game. You can read anytime," Alice told him.

"Fine." He put down the book, revealing his face—he was his father's mini-me.

My mind started to wander as I watched the game. Twelve years ago, if someone told me Alice would one day marry Jasper, I wouldn't have believed it. Back then, it wasn't unusual for Alice to _fall in love_ with a guy one day and be completely infatuated with another guy the next week. Of course, even though I knew she was good at science, I never would have guessed she would want to join the CSI either. Before then, she always wanted to design her own clothes and marry a lawyer like her father.

However, after graduation she moved to Washington with Emmett and me to attend U-Dub. Jasper had gone back to school as well, and they met up in class one day. Over study sessions they fell in love and got married two years after Alice graduated.

I never expected I would ever return to Washington. However, Seattle was much kinder to me than Forks ever was. The reason for our move was because Emmett was offered a partial scholarship, even though he had been out for his senior year. U-Dub was willing to give him a shot because of his history. Emmett played second-string his freshman year and moved up to first for the following two. Unfortunately, his shoulder got reinjured at the end of Junior year.

Emmett didn't let it hold him back though. He got his degree in teaching physical education. He married Rose the summer before senior year, and Colin, their oldest, was born at the end of the following January. Emmett is now the P.E. teacher at the local high school and coach of varsity football and baseball. He still found the time to coach our kids' Pee-wee team as well. Rose taught at a local elementary school as a special education teacher.

Phil moved up to the Pacific Northwest with us and opened a new office. He still kept his house in Jacksonville so we could have a vacation home. Not surprisingly, he was a wonderful grandfather, as he had been a father figure. Once Emmett stopped feeling guilty about it, he and Phil became close as well.

My relationship started off slow with Edward. At first, we texted and called each other with the occasional video chat. Then on Valentine's day, he surprised me by showing up in Florida. With a little help from an evil little pixie, we had a picnic on the beach with ice cream for dessert. Edward decided to become a paramedic during the first year of college. He proposed our senior year, and we got married the summer after we graduated. Emily was our honeymoon baby.

I still wrote and published several more books. I also willingly became caretaker of my nephews while their parents were at work. It was my own children and nephews who inspired a children series that ended up even more popular than my teen novels. Edward and I lived comfortably in Cottage Lake, close enough to the city, yet far enough that we were able to have a big backyard for the kids to play in and ride their bikes in the neighborhood.

Esme and Carlisle visited us often and planned on moving closer when Carlisle retired in a few years. Esme had become like a second mother to me. She was there with my first pregnancy and even stayed with us the first few weeks after Emmy was born, to help us get adjusted, since Edward's schedule was crazy at the time.

We, or I should say, Emmett heard from Charlie a couple of times. Emmett agreed to meet him for lunch once during our sophomore year. He came back angry and wouldn't talk about it until months later. Apparently, Charlie wanted back in his life. Emmett said he would agree if Charlie would do family therapy, with me included. Charlie said it was for the weak and refused. That was the last time he saw or spoke with him. Six years ago, Charlie had a heart attack behind the wheel of his cruiser and died. I went to the funeral as an obligation while Edward stayed home with Emily. It was a somber event, and I couldn't shed a tear for him. Emmett and I sold his house, and I insisted after many arguments that Emmett should keep the money. Edward and I were doing well and didn't need it, while Rose and he were still living in a small apartment.

**S**

"Go grab a change of clothes, and I'll start the shower for you in a moment," I told Emily as we got home.

"Okay." She started for the stairs, but I grabbed the back of her jersey.

"Cleats off at the door, please," I reminded her.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"I'm hungry." Alec tugged my hand.

"Something small, we'll be going to Aunt Rose and Uncle Em's soon for a cookout." I ruffled his bronze locks.

"I'll take care of him." Edward came down the steps, looking like he just got out of the shower.

"Daddy." Alec went running for him.

Edward picked him up and gave him a toss before placing him back down. "At least one of my kids are happy to see me. Emily took one look at me and ran into her room, slamming her door. I thought I would have another five years or so before I would have to worry about that."

"She had to sit out for some of the game…"

"Emmy tackled a boy," Alec said gleefully.

"But she's a quarterback. I know I don't much about football, but they don't do that, do they?" Edward looked confused.

"No, they don't. Especially in Pee-wee league. Apparently, the boy told her _girls were too weak to play_, so she tackled him," I explained.

"Good for her." Edward grinned.

I shook my head. "Yes and no. We can't let her think it's okay to resort to violence when she loses her temper."

"So she's afraid I'm going to punish her," Edward concluded.

"Emmett has already disciplined her and is making her do ball duty for the next week. Since it's the first time and she was goaded, I thought we didn't need to add to it. But we do need to talk to her, she was afraid to tell you what happened."

"Okay, I promise to be gentle." He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss.

"Ewww…" Alec complained, trying to push us apart.

I laughed and took a step back to see him scowling.

"Did you at least get it on tape?" Edward's eyes glinted with humor.

"Alice did. It was pretty impressive—the other kid was twice her size." I smirked, showing him the video.

"Maybe Emmett should change her position to a linebacker." Edward chuckled.

"Please, don't give either of them any ideas, I don't think I could take it. I'll be right back." I headed for the stairs.

**S**

When we arrived at the house, Emily and Alec went running ahead. Edward took the pie from me and held my hand as we followed them. Rose opened the door, looking tired but happy with two-year-old Brady on her hip. He gave us a large dimply smile like his father's.

"Sorry, I didn't make the game. Brady wasn't cooperating this morning, so I figured it was better if we stayed here," she apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Hi, Brady." I held out my arms for him, and he dove into them.

"Emmett will start grilling as soon as he's out of the shower. The others should be here soon," she said.

"I can start if you'd like," Edward offered.

"That would be great, thank you." Rose agreed, taking the pie from him. "Meat platter is on the counter, ready to go."

A few hours later, after everyone had eaten, Alice called us all together, and Jasper carried out a large box to the center of the yard.

"As you know, we all gathered here today to celebrate the new, soon-to-be-coming member of our family. Bella and Edward agreed to let me do a gender reveal party, so as of right now, they'll be just as surprised as you all will be," Alice said cheerfully.

"I hope it's a girl. There are _waaay_ too many boys around here. Someone needs to help me keep them in line," Emily said loudly, making the adults laugh.

"Hey." Colin looked offended. "I'm the oldest, I'm the leader."

"The last time you were the leader, you led us through poison ivy. Emmy is the better leader," Peter spoke up in his quiet voice.

"Okay, argue about it later. Bella and Edward, front and center." Alice waved us forward. "On the count of three. One…two…three."

Edward and I lifted the lid and stood back as three balloons popped up, a pink, a blue and one stating twins. I knew, since my first ultrasound, it was twins and had suspected history would repeat itself with a boy and a girl. Still I blinked back tears of happiness.

"Twins!" Esme gasped, covering her mouth.

"I knew it," Emmett yelled.

"Yay, a girl," Emily cheered, jumping up and down.

"And a boy," Colin said cheekily.

Before Emily could retort, Phil stood up and gained their attention. "Who wants to play hide and seek." He covered his eyes and started to count.

The kids scattered immediately, running in opposite directions. Brady crawled in between Esme and Carlisle's lawn chairs and crouched down. Carlisle laughed and tossed his jacket over his head to help hide him. But Brady kept peeking out, making the adults chuckle. I leaned back into Edward's chest, and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Stay in the yard!" Rose hollered after them. "And, Colin, no climbing on the roof."

"Ed, want a beer," Emmett offered him a bottle.

"Thanks, man." Edward accepted it and took a sip.

"Bells, do you want anything? We have pickle juice," he asked.

I wrinkled my nose. "Ewww, not every pregnant female wants pickles, Em. I'll take lemonade, please."

"Coming right up." He headed to the house.

I yawned and rested my eyes for a moment. I could hear the laughter and giggles in the yard, and it made me smile.

"You look ready for a nap." Edward kissed my forehead.

"I am. I'm looking forward to tonight. Alice offered to take the kids. She's trying to talk Jasper into another baby," I said.

Edward chuckled. "Don't you think adding two more rambunctious kids would talk him out of it?"

I giggled and elbowed him playfully. "Maybe. Regardless, it will be nice to have the house to ourselves for a while."

"I couldn't agree more," Edward said, holding me closer.

**A/N:**

**This the end. At this time there's no sequel planned. I'm sure I'll have another story coming, but no set start date yet. **

**Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reviews with me.**


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